A REVIEW OF OPINIONS ON PEAR TREE BLIGHT. 



499 



Our attention has been for some years 

 directed to this disease, and we would give 

 what testimony our own experience furnish- 

 es. We have lost some trees by it, though 

 fortunately not many, as well other fruit as 

 pears. Five years since we set out two 

 rows of Tartarian cherries in a garden, 

 which has for very many years been highly 

 cultivated. The soil is rich, and a part of 

 it so moist as to require draining. The 

 trees made a rapid growth. The second 

 season after they were transplanted several 

 died, presenting the appearance of having 

 perished by the fire blight. This led us to 

 watch them more closely. Early last spring, 

 before a leaf had shown itself, we examin- 

 ed the rows and discovered upon using the 

 knife that the entire inner bark and sap 

 wood of the trunk of one, and part of that 

 of another tree, was dark and much discol- 

 ored. The limbs and roots appeared sound. 

 Without disclosing the result of our exami- 

 nation, w^e then, and twice subsequently, 

 after vegetation had commenced, called 

 the attention of the gardener to the rows, 

 requesting to know whether there was any 

 perceptible difference in the appearance of 

 any of the trees. None was observed by 

 him. The two referred to put forth leaves, 

 blossomed, formed fruit, made considerable 

 growth at the extremities, and appeared 

 vigorous. About the first of June, a change 

 took place ; the leaves turned yellow, the 

 fruit gradually fell off, the branches wither- 

 ed, and about the middle of the month the 

 trees perished. In each instance, of loss, 

 the trees stood where the ground was moist, 

 and were more closely surrounded by other 

 trees. A thrifty pear standing nearby now 

 presents the same early symptoms. 



Why trees suffer more in moist than dry 

 soil, and in close than open plantations, 

 may be readily accoi.nited for. A moist 

 rich soil promotes a late growth. Close 



plantations are usually more highly cultiva- 

 ted. In fruit gardens, rapid growth is de- 

 sired. When the soil is made rich, there 

 is a disposition to crowd in too large a num- 

 ber of trees, and the ground is overstocked. 

 The trees shade each other, and w^hen cov- 

 ered with folinge, prevent evaporation of 

 moisture and a free circulation of air. The 

 thrifty w^ood, more succulent and less ma- 

 tured than that of trees in more open situa- 

 tions and less cultivated, is more easily in- 

 jured by the excessive changes in the at- 

 mosphere, which sometimes occur in the 

 autumn months. 



One reason, we apprehend, why this dis- 

 ease prevails with the pear more at the 

 West than any other section of the country, 

 is the greater fertility of soil. A poor soil 

 is by no means desirable, but that which is 

 deep and rich promotes an over-luxuriance 

 of growth, and produces wood buds instead 

 of fruit buds, two evils which art must seek 

 to avoid. McIntosh, in his treatise upon 

 the Orchard, remarks that Eogers assigns 

 for a reason why the quince stock has be- 

 come so popular, (in England,) is, " the bad 

 success attending the ordinary method of 

 planting pears worked on seedling stocks in 

 too deep and rich borders, which causes 

 such exuberant growth and consequent bar- 

 renness, that the trees were only useless 

 encumberers of the ground. Had the bor- 

 ders been properly prepared by having a 

 hard dry bottom, with a surface layer of 

 light fresh loam, about fifteen inches deep 

 only, the same trees would have taken a 

 kindly growth, and very soon would have 

 been fruitful." He observes that the opin- 

 ion of Sanders, niu'serynmn, of Jersey, 

 given in the Gardener's Magazine, is much 

 to the same effect. "Free stocks are very 

 preferable where the soil is high and tlry." 

 McIntosh remarks that " froDi eighteen inch- 

 es to two feet and a half of soil is ouite suf- 



