Planned obsolescence

Dear Gardening Helpers,
I have an old plum tree that has flowered faithfully for the last 13 years, but this spring, part of the tree seems dried and dead. When I checked, there seems to be some sort of mold on it. Is there any remedy for this? I’d hate to lose this tree.

Bill.
Pacific Heights.


Dear Bill,
What your tree most likely has is heart-rot. It is a common fungal disease that afflicts older plum trees. Unfortunately, there is no cure for it. The plum tree will eventually die. The only good news is that it takes many years for the tree to die. Our advice will be to plant a replacement tree that will take the place of the older tree when it finally dies.

("Gardening Section," San Francisco Chronicle: Sunday Edition, May 4th 2000)


"Heart-rot." Maybe that's what most of us eventually succumb to. Who are the replacements? (For there must be replacements.) Who are we replacing?

Who are our replacements?


The Englishman had called him fatos profugus—fate’s fugitive.


We should all be so lucky.