LLLLNOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 273 



phise upon the mysterious causes of tire blight. Any plan tliat decreases the natural supply o( sap, 

 and yet which keeps tlie roots in a liealthy, sound condition, seems to answer the rc(iuired purpose 

 to a suflieieut extent to malce pear growing a source of profit. During the twelve years past tliat I 

 have given this matter close attention, I have I<nowii no practical plan so successful iu preventing 

 blight, as tlie grafting or budding the pear above tlie ground, upon young and perfectly thrifty white 

 thorn stocks. 



Tliere seems to lie no tendency on tiie part of tlie wliite tliorn to a deep extension of roots, and 

 the supply of sap tlirown into tlie pear top seems never to be sulticient to develope blight to any 

 serious extent. Hundreds of thorn trees have been grafted at the "West to the pear, wiiicli have 

 made a feel^le growth for a few years, and after bearing a few pears have died out, root and branch. 

 Yet, while lu'arly all experlmeuts in this direction liave resulted in more trouble than profit, we 

 have no reason to say, witli Dr. Warder and otlier noted toiiiologists, that "The pear rarely, if ever, 

 makes a perfect union with tlie wood of the thorn.'' Facts are one thing, theory (|uite anotlier. 

 One perfect success, as tlie result of systematic effort, is wortli more as a criterion to work by, than 

 a tliousand failures, wliich are the outgrowtli of inisdiiected effort. Tiie plain facts are that some 

 varieties of tlie pear will hiake a jierfeet union with tlie true wliite or pear thorn, and develop into 

 large-sized, long-lived and very fruitful trees. Isaac JSraudt, of Desnioines, Iowa, and others have 

 visited a noted tree of lliis kind in Ohio, of immense proportions, It is grafted upon tlie thorn 

 trunk twelve feet from the ground. Its branches cover an area of tliirty-five feet in diameter, and 

 fruit is annually produced at a lieiglit of seventj'-five feet from tlie ground. The circumference of the 

 tliorn trunk below tlie point of grafting is five feet nine inches. This tree fully illustrates the doc- 

 trine that wlieri' a perfect union is formed the pear top induces a larger growth than is natural to the 

 thorn stock, infill the pear thorn is naturally (juite a large and free growing tree. I liave seen native 

 specimens upon flie banks of tlie Cedar river, Iowa, over tliirty feet in height, and fully si.xteen 

 inches iu diameter. It is now generally admitted by those who liave given the matter attention, tlial 

 a few kinds of the Ileal— prominent aiuoug which is tlie white Doyenne— will work upon the .white 

 thorn, citlier by budding or grafting, witli fully as much ease and certainty as upon pear stocks. If 

 upon further trial it proves that the list of varieties that can be successfully worked upon this stock 

 is too restricted, the plan of double working can be adopted, and our list be increased as maybe 

 found desirable for our climate. 



While it is true there is not a great numlier of healthy bearing trees of many years standing of pear 

 upon tliorn scattered over the prairies at this time, yet the trees that we have, exhibit so little of 

 blight or disease, and are so continuedly productive that we have much reason to hope for a new era 

 in prairie pear growing. During the past unfavorable season, when a majority of all the pear trees 

 at the West upon pctir or quince roots have been scourged with the blight, I have kuowu no well 

 established tree upon the tliorn that has been injured. The general ill-success of working pear ujjon 

 tlKjrn, has resulted from two main causes: Firstly, niue-teutlis of all experiments have been tried 

 upon the common bitter haw of our prairie tliickets. Worked iijion this diminutive bush thorn, the 

 pear soon outgrows and exhausts the stock. Cxenerally a few pears are produced, but the result is 

 never satisfactory. Secondly, when tlie true white thorn is used, old stocks of fV'eble vitality are dug 

 up from the woods and top grafted. Those who know tlie difficulty of to)) grafting in our dry climate 

 need not be told that failure upon such stocks must be the rule. If we expect to grow pears success- 

 fully ujion thorn, we must go to work in a rational manner. The stocks must be grown from seed 

 and managed precisely as is other nursery stock. It is necessary in the outset to be sure to get 

 ••Simon pure" seed. I have been surprised to find tliat not one nurseryman in ten could distinguish 

 witli any certainty the white or pear thorn from our other native thorns. Yet once identified, no 

 tree Is more readily recognized. The habits of growth, twigs and leaves of the white thorn (Crataegus 

 coccinea,) differ strongly from all other species of the thorn. Tne branches are much more crooked 

 and spreading; the twigs or branchlets and thorns are of lighter color, and marked witli jiatches of 

 silverygray and white. Its leaves, even when dry, are reailily distinguished. Their serrations or 

 iiiotches are sharp pointed, and each tooth, as a farmer might call it, is pointed forward, and is of 

 tself notched. Botanically spetiking, the leaves are coarsely, doubly accuminate— .serrate. Its 

 fruit, though running somewhat into varieties, is generally scarlet in color, and of pleasant flavor for 

 eating. Tiie only successful plan I have yet known for germinating the seed, is by mashing the ber- 

 ries and feeding llu'iii to cattle, mixed with meal; then saving and planting the drojiiiings. The 

 action of the gastric juice of the stomach seems to acconiplisli in a few hours that which heat, frost 

 and moisture reciuires two years to perform. The seedlings will be large enough to biid when two 

 years old, ami will rapidly come forward into liandsomc, symmetrical trees. 



The thorn is so perfectly at home upon our alluvial soils, and iu size of trunk so evenly keeps pace 

 witli the pear in its growth, that if continued experience should Uetermiiie that the blight cau be 

 mostly headed off iu this way, we may soou expect that pears will become a cominon family fruit of 

 all prairiedom. JOSEPH L. BUDD. 



Shellsbukg, Iowa. 

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