STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 129 



propagates itself and is carried in the atmosphere; it will propagate 

 on our fruit trees. I have noticed that if we have a warm', dry spell 

 just before strawberries commence to ripen and then directly a suc- 

 cession of warm showers, as Mr. Gaylord spoke of, I have known 

 trees to. make a growth of six inches in twenty-four hours. These 

 shoots are full of water, and are just in the right condition to be 

 affected by blight. It attacks the Transcendent first, then the 

 Duchess, and everything else on my place. I believe where the 

 wind works freest it is the least liable to find a lodgment, because 

 years ago when I set out my orchard I set out a windbreak and at 

 first when the windbreak was small and the wind coursed freely 

 through it, I didn't have any blight, but it grows worse and worse 

 every year. I have tried salt; it hasn't cured my trees of blight, 

 but I find it is beneficial. It helps them to withstand the drought 

 and makes the soil hold the moisture. 



Mr. Smith. Two years ago I recommended hanging open cans of 

 kerosene in the trees, as a remedy for blight, and I think it is an 

 excellent remedy. 



Mr. Harris. We have a blight, so called, that is caused by a twig 

 borer. I have seen a little of that, but it only comes once in a good 

 many years, and is not a permanent thing. 



Mr. Nobles. I would like to say here that I have some apple trees 

 closely hemmed in with cottonwood and maple trees and I am not 

 troubled with blight. I have cultivated them for twelve years, and 

 my apples bear every year; I have some trees set in the door-yard 

 that are the nicest trees I have, and they were loaded with fruit this 

 last year. 



Mr. Gray lord. There is an insect of that kind; but it is not this 

 common fire-blight; that is given up, I believe, b}' all our best men. 

 Insects will work in after a few days. Where the blight touches 

 the sap it foments and works, and draws insects to it. 



Mr. Harris. You can almost see that kind of blight grow. Take 

 it about two o'clock in the afternoon after a shower, and after 

 examining it a little while you can observe a change; the progress 

 is almost perceptible, it grows so fast. In this kind of blight I have 

 seen the insect that produces it. 



Mr. Nobles. My orchard on the south and east is protected by 

 soft maples, and wes^t by cottonwoods, but if I was going to plant 

 again I wouldn't have a windbreak within twenty rods of my trees. 



9 



