J-] 



AND HORTICULTURIST, 



113 



growth will be moderate, but healthy ; quite dif- 

 ferent from those stimulated to excessive growth 

 by clean cultivation and the stereotyped annual 

 cutting back of two-thirds of last season's growth. 

 Remedies : Eternal vigilance and a sharp knife. 

 Carbolic acid is extensively used to destroy bacteria ; 

 it may be diluted with i ,000 parts of water to one of 

 the acid. Quinine is also used. Cold does not 

 kill them, but activity ceases at or near the freez- 

 ing point. Frische claims that 123° Fahrenheit 

 below zero will not kill them. In the adult state 

 most bacteria are destroyed in water heated to 

 150° Fahrenheit; spores have been known to sur- 

 vive a short immersion in boiling water. 



I have often prevented the increase of poisoned 

 parts by carefully cutting off the outer bark with a 

 sharp knife, and applying linseed oil. This must 

 be done very soon after the appearance of "blight." 

 A careful examination should be made after 

 every warm rain, and warm nights with dew. 

 Such examinations should be made at least once 

 a month during the summer. Any parts showing 

 signs of the disease should be removed immedi- 

 ately ; if an ordinary sized limb it had better be 

 cut off ; if on the trunk or large branches, the outer 

 bark may be peeled off and the spot covered with 

 oil. 



All diseased parts removed, branches and bark 

 shaved off should be consigned to the fire at once. 

 It requires close observation to detect the disease 

 in the first stages, the bark turning black is rather 

 a second stage ; and also to make sure that the 

 cut is below all the affected parts. 



In the case of contagious diseases among ani- 

 mals caused by bacteria, it has been found that 

 the bacteria may be cultivated, whereby it loses 

 most of its poisonous qualities, and animals inoc- 

 ulated with it take the disease in a mild form and 

 are ever after free from that disease. 



Now let us hope that some genius will contrive 

 a way to cultivate the species of bacteria under 

 consideration, so that by inoculating pear trees with 

 it they would be "blight" proof. This would open 

 a field for a new profession — a tree doctor. 



[This paper was read before the Western New 

 York Horticultural Society.] 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Irrigation. — Watering by irrigation, even 

 where Nature is profuse in rain, is found to be so 

 useful that in some of the best fruit and market 

 gardens of Europe it is provided for. Revue 



Zi'(?r/z"f<7/^ says that in the middle regions of France, 

 especially in Provence, artificial irrigation is re- 

 duced to a system, and practiced on a vast scale. 



Mouse Traps. — There are many ingenious 

 contrivances for trapping vermin, the following 

 from the "Gardening Illustrated" will add one 

 more to the useful list: 



" Take two common bricks, place them on their 

 narrowest sides 4!4 inches apart, say by the side 

 of a row of peas, having previously levelled the 

 ground. Cut a piece of stiiT wire about 3;^ inches 

 long, on this thread a pea, bean, or any bait you 

 choose, lean one brick in a slanting position towards 

 the other, supported by the wire from about the 

 center of one brick to the other; the slightest 

 touch from a mouse and the slanting brick will 

 immediately fall, and, I think, poor mouse will die 

 instantaneously. I have frequently set over night 

 four of these traps, and caught three mice in the 

 morning. Birds never interfere with my traps." 



Over-bearing Pears. — One of the best pears 

 is the Rutter, but it has a tendency to be remark- 

 ably productive. When allowed to bear all it 

 wants to, it is about as worthless as a pear can 

 well be. This is probably the reason why the 

 Kieffer is so variable in character, as its tendency 

 to fruitfulness is enormous. No fruit requires 

 thinning more earnestly than the pear. 



Planting Dwarf Pears below the Graft. 

 — Mr. B. O. Curtis says: "Twenty-five and thirty 

 years ago, guided by what seemed to be a general 

 opinion among tree planters that the dwarf should 

 not be planted deep lest the pear strike its roots into 

 the ground and become a standard tree, I planted 

 the lower part of the pear not deeper than the sur- 

 face of the ground and raised the earth two inches 

 higher; and not over one per cent, of them have 

 formed pear roots. I would now prefer that all 

 had formed pear roots and become half standard, 

 as I would thereby get the advantage of the early 

 bearing of the dwarf and the greater size of the 

 half standard." 



Schoolmaster Apple. — When we consider 

 how numerous is the American list of good apples, 

 and how difficult it is to choose between the large 

 number of superior kinds pressing themselves on 

 our attention, it is surprising to read that in Eng- 

 land the "list of really good and useful apples 

 such as are hardy and good bearers, is limited." 

 In view of this fact the "Schoolmaster" has been 

 introduced by Mr. Laxton. Out of a very large 

 number of promising new apples submitted to the 

 Fruit Committee of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 during the past three years, three only have re- 

 ceived first-class certificates — " Schoolmaster " 



