174 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



rible scourge ? There are many ways of killing it for a short period at 

 a time. Sulphur, lime, snuff, salt,' diluted in water — all of them are very 

 good to a certain extent. The reason why either of these is of any ser- 

 vice is because they absorb the crude sap on which the mildew lives, 

 and without which it never could have secured a lodgment, and it is lia- 

 ble to come again at any time when circumstances suit. Besides, if it 

 does not come again, it always leaves its mark, in the shape of a small 

 scab, very much deteriorating the richness and beauty of the fruit, 

 flowers, and foliage of the vine, the tree, and the plant. How, then, 

 shall we guard against this insidious enemy, and rid ourselves of this 

 poisonous pest? I would say, don't let it have a chance to take root, or 

 anything to feed on. How can I hinder it ? I will tell you all I can. 

 In the first place, a tree or plant is not a locomotive. It has not the 

 power in itself to choose or change its location. Wherever the seed 

 germinates and sends up its plumule, or wherever the hand of man has 

 planted the tree, it must remain. It cannot change its boarding house 

 or lodging, nor emigrate to a foreign country, by any inherent powers 

 of its own. \ 



If the seed springs up in unsuitable soil, or in any uncongenial climate, 

 it must stay there (unless some extraneous power interferes) and be sub- 

 ject to the pernicious consequences of unsuitable soil or climate, which 

 is sure to induce disease. Improper food will cause disease in animals ; 

 so it will in plants. Umvholesome air will also have a deleterious effect 

 on both; and disease in plants, as well as animals, will be sure to affect 

 the cuticle or outer skin, interfering with the regular perspiration so 

 necessary to the health of the body — and in plants it will often cause 

 eruptions, ulcers, .or fissures in the skin of the leaves, young shoots, and 

 even the fruit and blossoms. From all these eruptions viscid matter will 

 issue, on which the seeds of the mildew settles and spreads its poisonous 

 roots, and sends up suckers in every direction. The louse on the rose 

 bush, the borer in the apple tree, are produced from eggs dropped into 

 just such eruptions as these by their far seeing parents ; and many vari- 

 eties of the mildew will, under favorable circumstances, in twelve hours 

 from the time the seed takes root, mature its seeds and send them on the 

 wings of the wind to find some other suitable location. I am confident 

 that some plants imbibe the germs of the fungi in their food — as I have 

 seen it in the interior of the turnip, potato, and beet — produced, no doubt, 

 in like manner as worms are produced in the animal stomach. How 

 necessary, then, it is that plants should be supplied with suitable food 

 and a climate congenial to their character, habits, and necessities. In 

 order to accomplish this, a thorough practical knowledge of vegetable 

 physiology is of the greatest importance, not only in the general appli- 

 cation of the term, but embracing all the peculiar characteristics of the 

 several varieties, species, genera, classes, and families of the vegetable 

 world. And now, I suppose,' some one will laugh at the idea that all 

 this tedious routine of study is necessary to enable a person to raise good 

 wheat, rich fruit, or beautiful flowers. Yes, sir ; and you must also under- 

 stand something about the various kinds of soils, climate, meteorology, 

 etc., so as to give every plant its proper food and suitable breathing air; 

 I know that some of the choicest fruits, some of the largest and hand- 

 somest vegetables, have been raised by persons who never gave a thought 

 to the causes which produced such results, and who will sometimes even 

 boast that the articles exhibited had never had any care or attention 

 bestowed on them, and never were noticed until their extraordinary size 

 or beauty attracted the notice of the curious. A luscious bunch of 



