Mutterings of discontent have reached us in various ways from many members of the American Pomological Society, respecting its Secretaryship.

Probably at its coming session next fall, no question will be considered with more anxiety than this, and upon its solution will largely depend the future success of the Society, and harmony be preserved among the leading pomologists of the country.

The present Secretary has committed an unpardonable blunder, one deeply deplored by the other leading officers of the Society, and has placed himself in a position calculated to draw out much determined and persistent opposition.

For the past two or more years, flattered with pride of place, and an egotistical estimate of his long years of experience in fruits and pomological matters, he has run a free gauntlet with pen and speech, criticising whom he pleased (sometimes most unnecessarily, perhaps even scurrilously, without just cause), and not in the least cautious in the use of uncomplimentary allusions to many of the most influential of the editorial fraternity.

In the last report of the American. Pomological Society, this egotism is carried so far as to appear in the shape of foot notes to several pages, wherein he asserts and re-asserts in the most positive manner, the comparative ignorance of the editors of all our Agricultural and Horticultural Journals, concerning fruits; and while not disposed to allow them either the credit or benefit derived from a possible practical experience in fruit culture, he actually intimates that they are responsible for most of the errors in pomological nomenclature, and are ignoramuses in general.

Only one person with " long years of experience," the great " I am," Secretary of American Pomological Society," is supposed to have a correct knowledge of pomology, and all are expected to play second fiddle to this noble functionary.

We are supremely disgusted, doubtless the public are too, with these airs of assumption. These foot notes we will collate and reproduce in our next number.

By this abuse of the liberty of his position (for none of the other executive officers saw or knew of these notes till the reports were all printed and ready for distribution), the Secretary has not only arrayed himself in the most direct antagonism to the press of the country, but has thrown to them an insult, which every high-minded journalist will resent.

We say to the American Pomological Society, this is disastrous to you. Your officers should be in perfect harmony with the press. You should seek its co-operation. It is your most efficient ally; insult or despise them, and your own influence and success will wane.

Take a new departure; let your future Secretary be one whom all will delight to honor, and toward whom the press will cheerfully offer every assistance, and who will co-operate in helping your Society toward still greater success and reputation.

Our thoughts for a long time past have often turned toward one who we believe would receive the unanimous support of the horticultural world; others have lately mentioned the same name to us, and we now break the long-kept silence we have maintained for the past four years, by proposing the nomination for the next Secretaryship in the well known name of Hon. W. C. Flagg, of Illinois, Horticultural Editor of The Prarie Farmer. Who seconds ?