676 VINEYARD CULTURE. 



insects which had attacked the fruit and caused it to fall. Their 

 running in the orchard may be deprived of any disadvantage by pro- 

 tecting the trunks of the trees with some sort of fence. Some fruit 

 growers use as a protection raw liver, rubbing it upon the trunks. 

 This may do, but anything that will prevent their approach to the- 

 trees near enough to gnaw the bark, will surely answer the purpose. 



Blight This affection is perhaps the most disastrous of 

 the diseases which affect fruit trees. It does not confine its destruc- 

 tion to any one particular variety of fruit, but is natural to all which 

 it assaults ; especially so, however, with pear trees. In its appear- 

 ance, it affects the leaves as does leaf blight to which we nave 

 referred, making them black and withering them. Its appearance 

 is first made upon branches which are developing fast ; then it will 

 extend over the whole tree, the leaves of which will fall before the 

 autumn; nor is blight confined in its effect to the leaves, but it will 

 ruin the branches themselves, and at length the trunk will be de- 

 stroyed, and thus the whole tree, unless the disease be remedied. 



The remedy for blight is not difficult. All the branches which 

 are attacked by the disease should be removed, and the point at 

 which they are severed from the tree should be some distance lower 

 than where there is any manifestation of it. Having been removed, 

 they should be destroyed by fire without delay. This remedy, which 

 is direct and explicit enough, must be undertaken as soon as the 

 disease appears, and it must be continued with determination. 

 Having taken away the parts of the tree which are diseased, if any 

 twigs or branches shall show indications of the poisoning, they 

 should be taken off also, and this trimming and cutting must be 

 continued until the blight is eradicated or the tree itself cut down. 

 Should the blight appear to have affected the whole tree, it will be 

 the better way to cut down the tree at once and burn it. If left to 

 itself, and this heroic treatment is not applied, the whole orchard in 

 which the blighted tree grows will be ultimately destroyed. 



Almost all the affections of either of the kinds which we have 

 referred to can be avoided by the careful fruit grower paying atten- 

 tion to his orchard, looking after it, and attending to the necessities 

 of his plants and shrubs before there shall be any indication of ill- 

 health ; or if trees be attacked unaware, then whether the disease be 

 inherent in the tree, or something that has come upon it in the form 

 of vermin or insect, prompt and efficient remedies should be at once 

 applied, and the disastrous results, which otherwise will be certain, 

 can be avoided. 



VINEYARD CULTURE. 



Grapes are grown in most parts of the Northern and Middle 

 States, and to the greatest perfection, for vineyard purposes, in the 

 mild climate of California, where an excellent quality of wine is 

 manufactured on an extensive scale. It is said of the grape in 



