68 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Williams, of Stockbridge. There is one other point 

 that I believe has not been touched upon in relation to the 

 pear ; that is, the liability of some kinds of pears to crack. 

 Has this any connection with the blight, or is there any 

 remedy ? 



Prof. Penhallow. I am not aware that the cracking of 

 pears has any immediate connection with the blight. It is 

 regarded as produced l)y the local action of a fungus in the 

 pear itself. I have not been able to associate that with the 

 blight with sufficient exactness to say that there is any par- 

 ticular connection between the two ; I am inclined to think 

 that there may not be. We have got much more to discover 

 in regard to pear blight liefore Ave come to anything definite ; 

 but in the meantime I think we may adopt those measures 

 which seem to be tending in the direction of correct results. 



Mr. Williams. Have there been any experiments in re- 

 lation to the cracking of pears to ascertain Avhether there 

 is any remedy for that ? 



Prof. Penhallow. Only the application of local treat- 

 ment. I am inclined to think that the best remedy you can 

 apply is to cut off the pear. It is a development of the 

 fungus on the pear itself which causes the cracking. If we 

 could take the fruit in an early stage of the development of 

 the fungus, and apply something which would kill the fungus, 

 and not injure the pear materially, we might check the 

 disease. 



Mr. Hadwen. Can the professor, or some one, inform us, 

 why the fungus seems to attack certain varieties and others' 

 are free from cracking? 



Prof. Penhallow. Each parasite seems to have its par- 

 ticular host, and I am inclined to believe that the readiness 

 with Avhich parasites attack depends largely upon the consti- 

 tutional vigor of the host. I think that the more highly 

 cultivated the plant the more it is open to attacks from para- 

 sites and other disorders. 



Mr. Hadwen. Then we cannot find a remedy through 

 high cultivation? 



Prof. Penhallow. Through high cultivation we may 

 guard against the operations of the parasites. Dr. Goess- 

 mann told me, at the time of the Centennial Exhibition, when 



