546 



FARM, ORCHARD, DAIRY AND GARDEN. 



PEAR-TREE BLIGHT.— "For nearly 

 a hundred years blight of the pear has 

 been the terror and despair to growers 

 of its fruit." This disease is known un- 

 der a variety of names — winter or frozen 

 sap blight, leaf blight, summer blight, 

 &c. It is quite different from insect 

 blight Since the temperature and 

 hygrometric state of the atmosphere and 

 the conditions of the soil, whether acid 

 or alkaline, pulverous or stiff, affect 

 fungi by either retarding or fostering their 

 growth, it becomes a matter of interest to 

 ascertain how far observations made in 

 relation to pear-tree blight agree with the 

 fungus theory. Some interesting experi- 

 ments have been prosecuted in relation 

 to pear tree blight, particularly during the 

 last two years. A pear-tree which was 

 badly blighted on its main trunk was 

 made the subject of special experiment. 

 Nearly all of the bark was blighted 

 within three feet of the ground, only 

 about an inch and a half in width 

 being left to connect the upper part of 

 the tree with the unblighted bark at the 

 base. The affected part was removed 

 and the sap-wood left quite exposed to 

 view; but to prevent injury from the air 

 it was at once coated with a composition 

 of carbolic acid, sulphur, lime, and water, 

 and used as a paint. After the lapse of 

 two years the tree was wholly recovered, 

 and the denuded part is again covered 

 with new and healthy bark. The tree in 

 all respects presents a healthy appearance. 

 Many other trees much affected with 

 blight were coated heavily with the sul- 

 phur compositions, and have evinced 

 marked signs of improvement. It is 

 intended to continue these experiments 

 •on a larger scale, until sufficiently numer- 

 ous and well-established facts attest the 

 best mode of treatment. These experi- 

 ment were made on heavy, compact, par- 

 tially undrained soil, lying low, and, 

 therefore, unfavorable for the highest de- 

 velopment of pear-tree culture. 



PRUNING.— The practice of indis- 

 criminate lopping off of limbs, large and 

 small, is the cause of disease and a 

 weakening of the constitution of the 

 tree, which in numberless cases leads to 

 premature death. It has been found in 

 nine case out of every ten, where a 

 branch of considerable size had been 

 taken off it would leave a rotten spot in 



the tree. In a great many varieties of 

 the apple tree there is a liability to decay 

 and rot. The tree may, and perhaps in 

 most cases will, heal over this, but a 

 diseased spot is left in the tree, and hence 

 to that extent is left in an unhealthy state. 

 And the more these spots are multiplied, 

 the more the tree is weakened and 

 diseased. 



PEAS, Culture of.— Peas, for an early 

 crop, should be sown as soon as the 

 ground is in working condition. The 

 soil for their reception should be light, 

 dry, and well sheltered. Mild manure, 

 such as leaf-mound, has a beneficial effect. 

 For general crops the ground should be 

 well manured the previous year, which 

 causes to yield more abundantly. They 

 are usually planted in double rows three 

 or four feet apart, and covered to the 

 depth of two and a half or three inches. 

 The height of the pea depends much 

 upon the moisture and richness of the 

 ground. The method of planting peas 

 in the hills with potatoes of an early 

 variety has been found successful. In 

 dry weather, soak the peas a few hours 

 before planting. Pour water into the 

 drills when the ground is dry, before sow- 

 ing the seed, which will cause them to 

 grow at once, should the season continue 

 dry. 



PLANTS (Outdoor), Labels for.— A 

 convenient method of preparing outdoor 

 labels for plants, capable of resisting the 

 weather, consists of cutting them out of 

 smooth pasteboard, and writing upon 

 them whatever may desired in ordinary 

 ink. When this is dry they are immersed 

 in linseed oil, or, what is still better, lin- 

 seed-oil varnish, until they are com- 

 pletely permeated by the liquid; after 

 which they are hung in the open air upon 

 threads to dry; they become like iron 

 and resist wet for a long time, and are 

 more durable than slips of metal. 



POTATOES, Earthing Up.— It has 

 been demonstrated that earthing up 

 potatoes diminishes the product, and re- 

 tards the ripening of the tubers. Long 

 experiments in England have fully proved 

 this fact — that hilling up the potato will 

 reduce the crop one-fourth. 



POTATOES, Raising, Under Straw.— 

 We give an experiment in raising pota- 

 toes under straw, by a noted agriculturist : 



