STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 223 



complete. But the best policy is to always keep it growing. That is the best 

 Insurance against disease, Insect enemies and failnroof fruit. 



It would be presumption in me to hint at the cause of pear blight, for I know noth- 

 ing of it, that is as to its cause. I do not know it practically, but a word as to my 

 experience in poor culture may not be entirely useless. In tlie place of my nativity 

 among the bills of New England, where a pear orchard was not known solar a my 

 knowledge extends ; there were occasional single pear trees very healthy and produc- 

 tive There were Borne facts connected with those isolated trees, that I noticed when a 

 youth, and are still strongly impressed on my mind. Those trees usually stood in the 

 corner of some field, yard or garden, generally on rather low ground, where the wash 

 from considerable surface was collected, frequently at the foot of a hill, and where the 

 leaves and litter naturally collected to form a mulch, where there was a reasonably 

 rich and uniformly moist soil and open and porous subsoil. Here the roots had a 

 chance to develop their natural habit of striking deep in the earth. I do not suppose 

 all the trees were set in that situation, but I inferred that those set elsewhere were not 

 permanent . 



The roots of the pear strike deeper than those of most other trees ; when this is pre- 

 vented by an impervious subsoil, the tree cannot be healthy. Does not pruning the 

 side roots to prevent blight, force the growth of the tap roots deeper into the earth, 

 thus reaching permanent moisture, and thus supplying the condition that prevents 

 blight '.' A season rather wet, following an excessive dry one always produces blight in 

 the pear ; is not the drouth the cause? There is a cause, and that course of culture 

 which insures a uniform and healthy growth, will be most likely to escape the evil, at 

 least the condition of those trees which were healthy, would lie the best to pattern 

 after, in culture. 



It is notable that apple trees where they have attained the size of about twelve 

 inches in diameter, when their roots have penetrated deep into the earth, t bey are less 

 liable to disease than when younger, and that the untoward influences of climate 

 affects them less. The Sugar Maple barely lives when set on the prairie, its growth 

 being very slow for years, but when it has attained a size of ten or twelve inches in 

 diameter during a period of thirty years, it, then grows well. Its roots have reached 

 the depth of permanent moisture and the vicissitudes of a capricious climate do not 

 affect as in-fore. Heavy mulching would have msured its growth at first, and the same 

 may be, and doubtless is true of our fruit trees. 



Underdraining as a remedy for excessive moisture and drouth, will eventually be a 

 necessity in preparing an orchard site, and deep, thorough and constant culture or 

 heavy mulching, or both judiciously applied will insure against drouth; when that is 

 done and a regular supply of moisture and healthy growth insured, and shelter and 

 protection from the bleak winds fully supplied, we may reasonably expect less disease 

 and fewer failures of the fruit crop than now. 



There are some iullucnces we cannot correct ; the dry atmosphere of the W< Bt i- not 

 as favorable to some kinds of fruit culture as the moister atmosphere of t he Eastern 

 States. But this is not a fatal objection, and there is no doubt but by proper culture 

 and protection we can counteract the untoward Influences of a defective soil and 

 capricious climate, and to restore or create those conditions which have proved, here 

 and elsewhere, the conditions of success. But we must know what the cahse of failure 

 is, before we can apply a remedy. The incorrect opinion, that severe cold was the 



