28 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



out of the one hundred and fifty kinds, eight or ten might be 

 found of some value. 



Mr. Plumb had paid some attention to the Russians. They 

 have been set in various parts of the country, but nothing of special 

 importance had yet been developed. Perhaps it is too early to ex- 

 pect definite results, but as a general principle we find that a strong, 

 vigorous growth of tree is accompanied by a coarse and rather 

 inferior quality of fruit, and that where the wood growth is compact 

 and slow, there is a much richer and more delicate quality to the 

 fruit. Some of our finer crabs are good samples of this, while 

 all the Russians that are generally cultivated, like Tetofsky, Alex- 

 ander and Red. Astracban are deficient in quality and flavor. 



Blight. — Mr. Huntley stated that in his orchard, the present 

 season, Golden Russet trees, standing near other trees that were sub- 

 ject to blight had been affected with it, while those in other parts of 

 the orchard were not touched with it. He would like to have 

 this subject discussed, and to learn the cause and remedy. 



Mr. Plumb had closely observed this blight for many years, and 

 had long ago formed the opinion that it was not produced, as some 

 held, by insects, but was a disease of the circulation. Excess of 

 nutrition, especially when accompanied by hot and moist weather, 

 produced blight. The late heavy rains, followed by very sultry 

 weather had caused considerable blight in various parts of the 

 state. The excessive heat produces a chemical change in the sap 

 crowded into the cells of the tender wood, and favors the develop- 

 ment of fungoids which are often found to accompany blight. 

 He regarded these fungoids as a result, rather than the cause of 

 the disease. Trees in soils that are rich and retentive of moisture 

 are much more subject to mildew, scab and blight than where the 

 land is poor and dry. The remedy is to under-drain ; to plant the 

 trees on lighter soils, and, by culture, to secure early growth and 

 maturity of both wood and fruit. 



Mr. Peffer said that up to June 11th, everything had been fav- 

 orable for a heavy crop of fruit, but then there came a hot wind 

 from the south, which withered or scorched the leaves and tender 

 twigs on most all trees and plants, and stopped growth at once. 



