May 29, 1873. ] 



JOURNAL OP HORTICULTUEE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



425 



WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF CANKER?— HOW TO 

 SUCCEED WITH FRUIT TREES AND ROSES. 



SHOULD be glad to be the means of pro- 

 moting a little discussion on the cause and 

 cure of canker, also to learn if it is the 

 experience of your readers that the past 

 year has been the most remarkable within 

 the last twenty or thirty years for the de- 

 velopment of this disease. Such is my ex- 

 perience ; is It general ? We have a lot of 

 young trees that I planted about five years 

 ago ; some of them, although planted shal- 

 low in the best soil that could be procured, the i-oots kept 

 close to the surface, and prevented from going deeper than 

 18 inches or '2 feet, have yet been more or less affected 

 from the second or third year after planting. Notably 

 diseased are Margil, Kerry Pippin, Sykehouse Russet, 

 Gooseberry Pippin, Rymer, Alfriston, Golden Pippin, 

 Court of Wick, Oourt-Pendu-Plat, Irish Peach, Ashmead's 

 Kernel, &c. Now, all these made satisfactory gi'owth 

 from the first, and having had unusually dry summers, or 

 at least for two years, I have good reason to believe the 

 wood was well ripened. They began, however, to show 

 signs of canker, and grew worse year after year, despite 

 all precautions, until last autumn, or rather this spring, 

 when they were much disfigured — indeed, some were 

 completely killed. The best of them, and they are 

 few, I have regi'afted with the sorts that seem to be the 

 least subject to disease. They are Cox's Orange Pippin, 

 which stands deservedly high, and bears when quite 

 young; Golden Har\'ey; Sturmer Pippin, fruit not per- 

 fection ; London Pippin, shy bearer ; Dumelow's Seed- 

 ling ; Codlins in variety ; Waltham Abbey Seedling ; 

 Tower of Glamis ; Barcelona Pearmain, old trees ; 

 Devonshire Quarrenden, Early Harvest, and Flower of 

 Kent. Strange to say, Lord Suf&eld is but little affected. 

 These, with others here, stand so far pi-etty well. There 

 is an Apple called the Red Wine, of very dwarf growth, 

 and a sure bearer every year, of which I have old trees, 

 and very free from canker ; this sort is to be recommended 

 for unfavourable situations. 



What to me appears extraordinary is that of trees of 

 the same variety growing side by side, and for aught I 

 know worked on the same kind of stock, one is entirely 

 free, the other completely destroyed. Can anyone ac- 

 count for this ? It is generally said that the gi'eat causes 

 of canker are the roots growing in uncongenial soils, going 

 down too deeply, &o. No doubt these are causes; but 

 how comes it that trees are affected whose roots cannot 

 go more than 18 inches deep — nay, less than that, and 

 which have a mass of healthy fibrous roots ? 



As I have already remarked, last season was exception- 

 ably favourable to the production of canker. Here fine 

 healthy trees .5 feet and upwards high are destroyed. It 

 must be borne in mind that when I say the last " season," 

 I speak up to the time of the trees breaking into growth, 

 as I find some of them that when pruned showed little 

 or no signs of disease are now wrecks. I have no doubt 



No. 635.— Vol XXIV., New Series. 



so much wet and sunless weather as wo had last year 

 caused the wood to be soft and unripened, and that in 

 consequence the trees fell an easy prey to any disease. 

 What can be done ? is the question. My idea is to pro- 

 tect them ; for I believe the evil is caused at least as 

 much by atmospheric changes as by the soil. 



I have here taken up trees with perfectly healthy roots, 

 but the heads were positive wrecks. The soil is undoubt- 

 edly unsuitable to fruit trees as a rule, as evidenced by 

 the few stunted miserable objects which the people call 

 their Apple trees. I am constantly being asked the reason, 

 and I can only recommend planting varieties which are 

 found to grow freely. Such are few, and out of the reach 

 of the many ; but if a little interest were taken by a 

 gentleman or his gardener, with perseverance, I am con- 

 vinced, fruit in plenty can be grown even in unfavourable 

 districts. Do not be guided by lists of supposed good 

 sorts, for I beUeve it is impossible to tell which to grow, 

 except by proof on the spot. Do not be in a hurry to 

 plant ; look round you, see what sorts are thriving close 

 at hand, and if they are not very choice, never mind, 

 " half a loaf is better than no bread." Plant some of the 

 most approved sorts with them ; buy cheap but healthy 

 young maiden trees, any loss will be less felt ; plant them 

 rather thickly, so that if one-half or three-foui'ths of them 

 should fail it will only be a matter of time to replace 

 them with other sorts for trial, or you may fill up with 

 varieties which stand well. Do not be disappointed if 

 some of them prove good trees for a few years, and in a 

 year hke the last you find it necessary to head them 

 down and graft with others which stand the test of time. 

 In the end you wiU get your place stocked with ti'ees that 

 will repay you for your labour and perseverance. 



With regard to soil, it is of no use to enter into that 

 subject, for it is just possible that the soil which best suits 

 the trees is not to be had. I find great reluctance on the 

 part of employers to allow that whicli is best. " Spoil 

 my field for the sake of the garden ! oh dear no. How 

 absurd ! " However, there is yet a sort of gardener's free- 

 hold ; it is the sides of the highways. The fatter this 

 soil is the better, and it is well if the scrapings have 

 accumulated there for years. Trees here are less affected 

 growing in such soil than when then- roots are in the top 

 spit of a pasture. 



I repeat, study the varieties in the neighbourhood, 

 and, remember, there may be a favoui'ed spot. The 

 question is. Is yours the same ? if not, do not take it 

 as a guide, but go to that which is most like your own. 

 Within a few miles of me I can see fruit trees of all 

 kinds, and canker unknown. Roses, too, thrive well ; 

 and this reminds me that I have noted that where Roses, 

 especially on the Briar, thrive, there one can depend on 

 fruit trees succeeding well likewise. They both like a 

 red soil, be it a heavy clay, sandy loam, or marly loam ; 

 anything approaching peat or heavy black ferruginous 

 clay, is detestable to them ; in soils of these descriptions 

 they are shorter-lived and far more subject to disease. 



I find Roses here grow very indifl'erently. Although a 

 digression I will note a case of surmounting the difficulty 



No. 1287— VOL.XLIX., OldSf.ries. 



