THE TREE DOCTOR 



95 



When anyone writes or speaks of the germs of pear 

 blight "attacking" a tree, he is presenting a grave question in a 

 very erroneous and misleading manner. The "attacks/' so- 

 called, of the microbes are only after an injury has been inflicted 

 by some other cause. The whole tops of Pear trees may be 

 frozen and turn black ; in consequence of this all the cells in the 

 leaf are ruptured. In the decayed matter of those dead leaves 

 you have the feeding ground for the germs of the "blight," so- 

 called. A portion of the bark may become scalded in the hot 



Photo 81 

 A Story of "Blight." 



sun with the same result. The tree might be standing on a 

 southern exposure in light, sandy soil, and might start into bloom 

 too soon, be nipped with frost and show what is sometimes 

 termed "bloom-blight." It might so lack water in this hot, dry 

 situation, that a part of the twigs die in July or August. This 

 is called "tAvig-blight." In none of these cases does this mi- 

 crobe produce what you see and call "blight." Some injury is 

 first inflicted, then they take possession and have a right to. 

 Their working on such leaves or injured branches, adjacent to 

 the sound portions, undoubtedly will augment and intensify the 

 trouble. 



Photo 81 tells a story about "blight." A field of potatoes, 

 planted June 15th ; land plowed, worked all the same ; same 



