AND FRUIT GARDEN. 107 



may also get a lodgement in a tree at any place 

 where there is an abrasion of the bark. 



The immediate cause of the death of the parts of 

 the tree thus effected, is the fermentation caused by 

 these spores. Their action is the same in the veg- 

 etable world as is that of the germs of cholera or 

 diphtheria in the human family. Just why they 

 exist is very hard to determine, but that they 

 do, is all that concerns us in our battle against 

 them. 



There is no known remedy that we can apply in 

 one case more than in the other. The only way 

 that they are combatted at present, in the vegeta- 

 ble world is by prevention so far as possible, and 

 by the pruning knife if the former is unsuccessful. 

 Trees that are in the very best condition of health, 

 and located most favorably will be less liable to 

 attacks than others under converse conditions. 



That this disease is contagious as well as en- 

 demic there is no doubt, and if a tree becomes 

 affected and no attention is given it, others in the 

 vicinity will soon be attacked. For this reason 

 the greatest care should be used to select those 

 varieties not subject to this trouble. The crab 

 apples are most subject to this and the Russian 

 varieties as a class are also bad blighters, but there 

 are some of these, however, that are as free from it 

 as are the American or European varieties. In the 

 list of Russian apples given this has been carefully 

 considered. 



The trees should be watched during the early 



