297 



We have faithfully followed this advice ; and though the 

 fire blight has been several times in the fruit garden, its 

 ravages have always been arrested at once, so that we 

 have not lost a tree from this cause in twenty years. We 

 have believed that the new colonies went with us when 

 we carried off and destroyed the branches. 



The starting of the bark in winter, appears to be caused 

 by an untimely flowing of the sap, followed by intense 

 cold, which expands into ice, and separates the bark from 

 the wood. We have observed such effects once or twice, 

 succeeded on some of the smaller branches, by a blight- 

 ing of the leaves, but we believe it seldom occurs in this 

 district. 



The plum tree is sometimes, though rarely, attacked 

 by the peach worm in Western New- York. Its most for- 

 midable enemy however, is the insect that causes the 

 " black gum," similar in its effects to the insect that de- 

 stroys the morello, if they are not identical. Be this as 

 it may, it is rapidly increasing ; and unless our farmers 

 shall turn over a new leaf, the plum will soon become 

 very rare among us. In every direction that we travel, 

 branches are covered with these excrescences ; and if 

 there is one man within fifty miles of us who has done 

 his duty, we should be pleased to hear it. 



To guard against this insect, the trees should be well 

 pruned, though not enough to check their vigor, so that 

 the bunches may be readily discovered. Unless this pre- 

 caution be taken, it would be very difficult to find all of 

 them, without spending more time than people in general 

 have to spare. Let there be no delay in cutting off and 

 burning them when they are found. 



It appears that the eggs of this insect are deposited in 



a slit of the bark some time during the summer, and where 



they generally pass the winter without hatching. Soon 



after vegetation commences in the spring, a kind of fun- 



13* 



