STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 133 



DISCUSSION ON BLIGHT. 



Col. Robinson spoke on the subject, but so rapidly that the notes 

 are unreliable. Notes from his own pen have been applied for, aod 

 may appear in the Secretary's portfolio. He was understood to say 

 that Mr. Gould's paper was correctly descriptive, and that Mr. 

 Pearce was in the line of science as to the cause of blight. 



Mr. Emery did not agree with the theory that only diseased 

 matter is attacked. He thought all rank, soft growth should be 

 avoided. A steady, even growth he considered the most favorable. 

 We must keep our trees from growing too fast. 



C. L. Smith mentioned a case where he saw severe blight on one 

 -end of a row of Transcendents that stood in good soil and showed a 

 healthy even growth ; at the other end, with poor soil, but with 

 Tieavy mulching, there was no blight. 



Mr. Plumb. Blight is a secondary disease, and follows a disor- 

 ganized condition of tissue. Crab trees blight more readily than 

 apple, on account of their more compact structure, not so readily 

 yielding to excessive sap pressure. They winter kill less for the 

 same reason. Our best remedy against blight is to grow our trees 

 moderately, neither allowing them to be forced or the soil to be- 

 'Corae impoverished. Thin soil, plenty of air, equal temperature 

 near large bodies of water, are favorable conditions. Grow trees in 

 the right way, and there will not be much danger. Grow slow, 

 with moderate culture ; don't overfeed. 



Mr. Emery. What tree is least subject to blight ? 



Mr. Plumb. The Duchess of Oldenberg. 



Mr. Gideon. Everything takes the blight on my grounds. I 

 think there is no variety of the apple that the blight will not 

 touch. Sometimes my Transcendents are the most exempt. 



Mr. Plumb recommended the keeping of careful records of all 

 facts appertaining to blight, temperature, storms, condition of 

 trees of various kinds in periods of blight. He thought a knowl- 

 •edge of its causes would be thus eventually arrived at. 



Mr. Pearce. I am not afraid of blight. I can stop it as easily as 

 the itch. 



Mr. Gould. You will get it yet. 



R. Porter, I thought so once. So did Sias. But I have had it 

 and so has Sias. Had it bad. It will come to Pearce yet. 



Mr. Sias. Would it not be profitable to make application of 

 chemicals ? He had heard of cases where kerosene cans have been 



