94 THE TREE DOCTOR 



The agricultural lands of America are waiting not for "hogs" 

 but farmers ; those who understand soils and drainage, and who, 

 from the bottom of their hearts, in good old Grange style, can 

 shout, "Three cheers for the plow, spade and hoe !" 



PEAR BLIGHT. 



I repeat here what I stated in the old "Tree Doctor," 

 namely ; that peculiar class of maladies, which we call "blight," 

 does not "attack" and "kill" any tree or plant. Wise men 

 sneered at the assertion. Did not everybody know better? Did 

 not everyone see Pear trees "blighted?" Had not every ruralist 

 seen whole fields of potatoes swept by the "blight?" Had not 

 Prof. Wait examined "pear blight," named the bacteria, placed 

 it in "culture," described its life and habits? But, readers, is it 

 not true that all who have discovered and named the microbes 

 of the various "blights" have said in plain words (or language 

 that would imply the same), "These attack and kill the tree?" 

 (or plant.) The impression that is left by all reading that I 

 ever ran across on the subject is that these little foes "attack" 

 and "kill," just the same as a burglar would "attack" and break 

 windows and doors of a house, then enter and "kill." This is 

 a grave error. 



Do not our leading physicians all claim that microbes of 

 every disease are existing all the while in the air? One said to 

 me: "If I were to subject the saliva on your tongue to micro- 

 scopic inspection I would find there germs of all diseases com- 

 mon to this locality ;" and Dr. Kellogg remarks that a perfectly 

 healthy stomach will actually digest and make food of those 

 minute creatures. Therefore, as to whether an individual or a 

 community is "attacked" by the microbes of any "disease," will 

 depend upon whether we have sinned. "Sin is the transgression 

 of the law." The laws of Nature are the laws of God. Health 

 is the normal condition. If we overwork, underwork, drink that 

 which is injurious, act the glutton, or in any way "transgress" 

 law, we pay the penalty. If the function of any organ of the 

 body is disused or misused, dead matter is formed, and on this 

 dead matter the microbes feed. They have a right to do this; 

 that's what they are for. 



