72 Wisconsin State Horticultural Society. 



dew falling on them at night, and the hot dry air by day, turned 

 them black, killing the leaf, and poisoning the tender wood. The 

 more rapid the growth and the thinner the leaf, the greater the 

 liability to this blight and to mildew. The apple trees were quite 

 generally affected this way, both the fruit and leaf. Plum trees 

 were injured a good deal by the same cause, so that they shed 

 their foliage and fruit, and when the wet weather came on again, 

 new leaves and blossoms started out. In reply to inquiries how 

 to prevent mildew and blight, he gave the application of sulphur, 

 whitewash and salt for the first, and cutting off the limbs where 

 affected with blight, and peeling off the injured bark. 



Mr. Philips thought that these remedies were not wholly satis- 

 factory, on account of the amount of labor required in large 

 orchards. The remedy recommended by Mr. Purdy and also Mr. 

 Jordan, of Minnesota, who was with us last winter, was the ap- 

 plication of a whitewash ma f le of quick lime and sulphur. He 

 had recently been over to Mr. Jordan's orchard, and found but 

 little blight on northern and eastern slopes where this whitewash 

 had been applied, and considerable on the western slope, where it 

 had not been used. lie came home and tried it on his own trees. 

 At first he thought it did some good, for the- blight stopped, but 

 it may have been owing to other causes. 



Mr. Plumb said that the subject of blight and mildew had been 

 fully discussed by the leading horticulturists, at the Nursery- 

 men's Convention, held this season in Chicago, and while there 

 was still some diversity of opinion in regard to the causes, the 

 belief that they were atmospheric was gradually gaining ground. 

 This was the opinion of Mr. Bush, of Missouri, who had made 

 them a careful study. To avoid blight and mildew, plant both 

 trees and vines where they can have free circulation of air, and 

 where the soil, in its composition and texture, is adapted to the de- 

 velopment of vigorous and healthy foliage. In proof of this he cited 

 Mr. Ott's experience in his vineyards in Madison, on the terraced 

 bank along the lake shore, and on the top of the bluff across the 

 lake. The first was a total failure, while in the other, that part 

 was most fruitful, and the most healthy and vigorous which was 

 upon the crown of the ridge. There had been some complaint of 



