82 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



bud. The ensuing season, the insect perforates towards the 

 centre of the branch, and causes the blight. The remedy for 

 this is to cut off and burn the branch some inches below the 

 blighted portion. The symptoms of the frozen saj) blight are, 

 the appearance of a thick clammy sap, upon incision of the bark 

 of the tree in spring or autumn, and the appearance, in spring 

 and early summer, of shrivelled and black portions of bark on 

 the branches. The disease is caused by the winter setting in 

 before the wood of the pear tree is ripe. The vessels being full, 

 are frozen and thawed with the change of the temperature, and 

 the vitality of the sap is lost, and, instead of performing its usual 

 functions in promoting the growth of the tree, becomes trans- 

 formed into a slow poison. When the sap rises in the spring, 

 the poisoned sap becomes mixed with it, and is carried to the 

 various branches of the tree, and causes the effects described. 

 The remedy, is to cut off the affected branches as soon as 

 the blight appears. Downing recommends whitewashing the 

 trunk and branches of the tree in the fall, as a preventive against 

 this disease. Whitewash reflects the rays of the sun, and 

 prevents the rapid thawing of the bark, which causes the blight. 

 There is, however, but little to be apprehended with us from 

 the frozen sap blight, except to trees planted in rich and damp 

 soils ; and it is only to trees planted in such positions, that the 

 preventive will be useful. In light soils, the wood ripens suffi- 

 ciently early, to be out of the way of the frost. In addition to 

 the diseases named, the leaves of the pear tree are subject, in 

 July and August, to attacks of the slug-worm. These may be 

 easily destroyed, by applying a mixture of whale-oil soap and 

 water to the leaves, or by throwing wood-ashes on them in damp 

 weather. 



Gathering the Fruit. Summer and Fall pears should, with 

 very few exceptions, be gathered before they are fully ripe, and 

 allowed to mature in the house. Some extensive growers have 

 apartments fitted up with shelves expressly for this purpose. 

 Most superior varieties, if permitted to ripen on. the trees, become 

 dry and insipid. Another advantage of gathering them before 

 maturity is, that they ripen gradually, and are a longer time in 

 eating. The fruit and trees are also prevented from injury from 



