THE CAUSE OF PEAR BLIGHT. 



a scalded leg — though a blight — that is death, came of both alike. I do not know that 

 this insect and the consequent blight, has appeared an3'\vhere else except here — if so, it 

 is now easily found, or at least traces of it. If not wait a little — don't cotnj)lain — 3'ou 

 know nothing about jiear blight from any other form of it. In the language of Bukkk, 

 " all the horrors of blight before known or heard of, were mercy to this new havoc." 



Do you ask why, if the cause is as above stated, what so appalling? Why not destroy 

 the in.sect at once? Destroy him! the villian!! Sweep down the stars — count out the 

 sands — rehearse all your arithmetic, make millions of billions your unit figure, and there 

 begin your computation, and when you have thus trained your mind to the infinite in 

 number, pray tell me how an insect that could tramp by the thousand through the very 

 bones of your flesh, without disturbing your slumber, can be waylaid and destroyed? If 

 the Infinite One does not work for us, with the periodical changes of all-devouring cold or 

 heat, or those other means by which he checks the career of these infinitissiuia races, I 

 confess I know not what can be done. What soap, ley, ashes, lime, copperas, sulphur, 

 plaster, tobacco, spirits turpentine, salt, coal-tar, charcoal, assafa'tada, and a whole apo- 

 thecary shop of other drugs can do, I have already tried upon them — and I despair — for 

 unless the season should in some way, by its peculiarities, bring relief, I cannot believe 

 after all my trouble, that my pear trees will one of them exist five years — if, indeed, one 

 year hence, though to a careless observer, not a finer, thriftier lot of trees can be found in 

 the country, than they now are; some shoots grew eight feet long last year, perfectly heal- 

 thy and sound. True, the washing with soap and tobacco water, and putting coal ashes 

 around the roots, last August, invigorated the trees, and seemed to check the disease for 

 the time, and has evidentl}' kept the insect from depositing its eggs on the parts washed; 

 but there was ground enough escaped the wash for more millions of eggs, now visible in 

 their effects, than there are people on the globe; and what can I do — the covering of the 

 eggs will not admit water or caustic, unless strong enough to kill the tree, I fear, and be- 

 sides, who can wash all parts of a large tree all over. That peeling off the eggs, and a 

 small slice of the bark, will stop it, I know by trial; but who can spend time to do it 

 where it has got fairly hold, as it has with our trees here; and if one man does it, will liis 

 neighbors do the same. I see but these possible courses; either to throw something into 

 the top of the tree, as salt water, or quick-lime when the dew is on, in fine powder, just 

 as the insects are hatching out; or throwing something offensive into the circulation of the 

 tree, by absorption at the root from the earth; or by a strong wash on the bark, and ab- 

 sorbtion from it, as of lime wash, or ley and tobacco water; or by boring and {)Iugging 

 some offensive substance in the trunk, as has been proposed for the curculio, with sulphur, 

 spirits turpentine and lamp-black, will drive it away, if it can be used without killing the tree. 



I have reason to believe that this insect commences its career at the collar or trunk of 

 the tree, and passes through one of its stages or tranformations under or near the ground, 

 as intimated by a lady not long since, in your paper; and that the phenomena above des- 

 cribed, constitute a second, if not a third period of its history, after the manner of what 

 are called the grand-nurses and nurses, of the microscopic tribes. But this I leave to 

 those better versed in such matters than I can pretend to be; for in this inflnitessimal 

 world, I frankl}'' confess I find myself an utter novice. I am even astonished at wluit 

 my own eyes compel me to believe, and almost in despair at it too. Where is the 

 end of this living dust to be found, in wheat-rust, yellows, grape-rot, and all similar 

 things; if this is the way of this great, coarse, granite world of ours, when you come to 

 see its living atoms, as they are — small enough to gallop full tilt upon nothing — an 

 numerous enough to eat up the solid globe itself? 



