THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



11 



of much note. I will now make a few 

 statements that can be proved by my 

 experience and observation. 



DEDUCTIONS FROM YEARS OF 

 EXPERIENCE. 



First, pear blight Is a bacterial di- 

 sease of the sap, originating from an 

 over-supply causing an action similar 

 to fermentation. When once started, 

 it is contagious, being carried in the 

 air by the wind, the same as are some 

 other diseases. 



Second, some varieties of pears, if 

 rightly managed, can be made prac- 

 tically proof against blight, even 

 though the disease is near. 



Third, some varieties, like the Bart- 

 lett, Laconte or Idaho, will blight any- 

 where, in any soil, with any size of 

 trees, even when there is no blight 

 near for the bees to spread. 



Fourth, that if fertilized abundantly 

 with barnyard, or other vegetable or 

 animal manure, or planted in very 

 rich soil, any variety may blight, bees 

 or no bees. 



Fifth, that a little, two-foot Bartlett 

 tree, that has never had a blossom nor 

 a bee upon it, nor been near blight, is 

 just as likely to blight as though 

 large and full of bloom; that is. In 

 proportion to Its size, or amount of 

 new growth. 



Sixth, that if the orchardist will 

 plant only those varieties that are 

 the least likely to blight, and in the 

 right soil, giving proper treatment, he 

 can control blight, bees or no bees. 



Seventh, if It were not for the bees, 

 or other pollen-carrying Insects, the 

 pear, more than any other tree-fruit, 

 would be a failure, as Its blossoms are 

 not as easily wind-fertilized as are 

 those of other tree-fruits. 



Eighth, that to poison every bee or 

 pollen-carrying Insect, would be as dis- 

 astrous to the pear-grower, as to the 

 bee-keeper. 



Go where you will, and. If you find 

 fruit, you will also find bees, or other 

 pollen-carrying insects. Tear trees 

 blight because man has taken them 

 from their natural home. If he will 

 aid nature, she will respond by pro- 

 ducing varieties that will be at home 

 in either California or Illinois. Some 

 seedlings from the West are not so 

 likely to blight, as they have taken 

 one step towards becoming natural- 

 ized. 



THE EFFECT OF SOIl,. 



Four years ago I planted an orchard 

 of pears on land that I considered very 

 suitable, viz., a high clay. I now have 

 900 trees, and the only blight that I 

 have seen was one little twig, the first 

 year, on a little Graber. I cut off this 

 twig, six or eight inches below the 

 blight, burned it, and I have not had 

 one single twig of blight since. 1 have 

 mostly Keififer and Graber, a few Lin- 

 colns, with some Dutchess dwarfs and 

 a few Tryon and Wilder dwarfs, as 1 

 have found these less likely to blight 

 when grown on the quince. I do not 

 advise any one to plant dwarfs, how- 

 ever, unless it is the Dutchess, as the 

 wind will blow them over unless they 

 are protected from storms. 



I do not manure, except to mulch a 

 little with straw the first year, if the 

 season Is dry. I plant small trees. 1 

 cut them back every spring and culti- 

 vate until July; but think I will seed 

 to clover soon. I shall apply wood 

 ashes and bone meal when I think 

 that the trees require it. 



There is another pear grower near 

 here who has several hundred trees, 

 and he make the mistake of placing 

 them on richer ground, and of plant- 

 ing all kinds of trees, with Bartletts 

 and Lecontes scattered here and there. 

 Blight has this year nearly ruined his 

 orchard — Keiffers and everythinf. 

 There are Keiffers 160 rods from my 

 orchard that are dead from blight 



