DISEASES OF THE PEACH, PLUM, AND CHERRY TREE. 



233 



I have known fruits which were very fair 

 immediately around the spot where they 

 originated, almost worthless when planted 

 but a few miles away on other soil, and in 

 other exposures. Few fruits in the world 

 are of general adaptation. 



As for "Giant Asparagus," it will grow 

 anywhere with rich soil and deep cultu'e, 

 no matter where you get the seed, or the 

 roots. I have gone through all that story. 



But J. is one that will succeed. No one so 

 willing to inquire as he is, will fail in ar- 

 riving at the best way of doing all these 

 things, by-and-by. 



Mulching (loostherr'ies. — No doubt of it. 

 " It's according to nature ;" and if a thou- 

 sand other things were mulched besides, 

 instead of exposed to the scorching rays 

 of a summer sun, in a hard, dry soil, it 

 would be all the better. 



REMARKS ON THE DISEASES OF THE PEACH, PLUM, AND CHERRY TREE. 



BY H. J. EIILERS, BARRYTOWN, N. Y. 



Whoever has observed, with attention, the 

 growth of fruit trees in this country, must 

 frequently have seen with surprise the 

 peach and plum tree struck with disease, 

 and dying early, while other fruit trees ap- 

 pear in a sound condition, and live to a 

 great age. The cherry tree, also, seems 

 to be less healthy in this country than in 

 Europe. 



This fact justifies the suspicion, that 

 these trees contain in themselves properties 

 not to be found in such as remain healthy; 

 and it is knowu that they differ from all 

 others, in the abundance of a substance 

 called gum. Let us now inquire whether 

 we can trace any connection between the 

 existence of this substance and the predis- 

 position to disease ? 



In the healthy tree, gum is found mixed 

 with the sap in a dissolved state; when 

 the tree is in a diseased condition, gum is 

 secreted, and driven to the surface as a 

 transparent, adhesive substance. In its 

 normal state (dissolved in the sap,) it exists 

 only in the bark; that is to say, in those 

 vessels through which the sap, elaborated 

 by the leaves, descends to form a new 

 growth of wood. Gum is soluble in water, 



Vol. iv. 18 



and its greater or less degree of fluidity 

 will depend on the quantity of water em- 

 ployed in its solution. By the simple pro- 

 cess of evaporation, it can be reproduced in 

 concrete form ; and is, therefore, in a high 

 degree qualified to pass through the vari- 

 ous stages of fluidity, under the reciprocal 

 actions of heat and moisture. The health 

 of a tree depends on the free circulation of 

 the sap; and if this circulation be at all 

 impeded, the tree becomes diseased, and, if 

 not relieved, death ensues. 



May it not, therefore, be believed that the 

 diseases of the peach, plum and cherry 

 arise from impeded circulation, since thev 

 arc, in this country, invariably accompanied 

 by bursting or rupture of the bark ? And 

 may it not be inferred, that this impeded 

 circulation is caused by gum, when we re- 

 member the qualities of this substance, 

 and how it may be acted upon by the ex- 

 cessive heats of the American summer I 

 The influence of the sun-beams, when the 

 air is clear, is very powerful, and must ne- 

 cessarily cause an evaporation more or less 

 rapid in proportion as the heat is increased 

 or diminished. In those parts of the tree 

 which are exposed to the sun, the juices 





