THE PEAR BLIGHT AT THE WEST. 



253 



is built in a circular form, and the roof neat- 

 ly thatched. The outside of this ice-house 

 is roughly weather-boarded, and then orna- 

 mented with rustic work, or covered with 

 strips of bark neatly nailed on in pannels 

 or devices. Two small gables with blinds 

 ventilate the space under the roof. 



Fig. 64 is a square ice-house, with a roof 



projecting three or four feet, and covered 

 with shingles, the lower ends of which are 

 cut so as to form diamond pattern when laid 

 on the roof. The rustic brackets which sup- 

 port this roof, and the rustic columns of the 

 other design, will be rendered more dura- 

 ble by stripping the bark off, and thorough- 

 ly painting them some neutral or wood tint.* 



REMARKS ON THE PEAR BLIGHT OF THE WEST. 



BY S. B. G., TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA. 



Dear Sir — From the first announcement 

 of the Horticulturist which met my eye, I 

 looked forward to the forthcoming publica- 

 tion with great interest. Upon one subject 

 in particular, that of the pear blight, I was 

 greatly desirous of learning your opinion. 

 For it is a matter of no small moment to 

 the lovers of this delicious fruit (and who 

 is not ■?) whether or not they are to lose it. 

 It is not of so much consequence that we 

 know a great deal about the disease — of 

 that, alas ! we have sad experience already ; 

 but if a remedy can be sought out, he will 

 deserve well of his country who shall make 

 it known. 



I am not satisfied with any of the various 

 theories put forth as to the cause of this 

 disease. That one form of blight is pro- 

 duced by insects, there is no doubt ; but 

 that the other is caused by freezing and 

 thawing, I am sceptical. This doubt, 1 

 am aware, calls in question the opinions 

 of some of the most eminent horticulturists 

 of our land, your own among them, as given 

 in the August number of your valuable 

 journal. The views of H. W. Beecher, 

 editor of the Western Farmer and Gardener, 

 and of Mr. Reuben Ragan, one of the best 

 pomologists of the West, first attracted my 

 attention. Their theory is, that the warm. 



mild, and sometimes moist weather, which 

 we frequently have in autumn, causes the 

 pear tree to put forth young shoots. These 

 being unripe wood, and readily susceptible 

 to the frosts of winter, are frozen; the sap 

 thereby becomes putrid or poisonous, and 

 being carried into the circulation, the entire 

 system is impregnated with its deleterious 

 properties, and the tree dies. The same 

 effects are said to follow frosts which occur 

 late in the spring, after vegetation has put 

 forth. 



If this theory be true, why have its effects 

 manifested themselves so recently ? Our 

 climate has undergone no change. The 

 vicissitudes of weather have never been 

 less than now. I have resided upon the 

 Wabash more than twenty-three years, and 

 have known no difference in this respect. 

 I have known almost whole winters that the 

 plough might have run, while others have 

 been cold. Late spring frosts, and late 

 warm humid fall weather, have always 

 marked our fitful climate, yet was the pear- 

 blight never heard of until recently. Indi- 

 vidual trees may have died, but the dis- 

 ease never prevailed as an epidemic. On 



* The projeeliiip root" will assist in keeping: the building cool, 

 In filling the house, back up the wapoii loaded with ice, and 

 slide the squares of ice to their places on a plank serving as 

 an inclined plane 



