VARIETIES OF FRUITS. 77 



decay called "blight," that appears all unknown. The 

 most intelligent of horticulturist apparently Imve no ex- 

 plicit idea of what the blight is, or how it may be checked. 



Various remedies for the blight have been recommended, 

 but no one proves a specific. A healthy growth of the 

 tree, in a soil moist yet dry, i. e., void of stagnant water 

 at the base of the roots, is about the only preventive. 



As, with the apple, the selection of varieties has been 

 made to meet the wants of the public rather than minis- 

 tering to the fancy of amateurs. So, also, has our list 

 been classed as to latitude, fully designated as to bound- 

 aries under head of the apple. 



In the list of size, color, form, etc., we here also copy 

 from the American Pomological Society's Catalogue, as 

 follows : 



The columns explain. Size s. small ; 1. large ; m. me- 

 dium, Flower p. pyriform ; r. o. p. roundish, obtuse 

 pyriform ; r. a. p. roundish, acute pyriform ; ob. p. obtuse 

 pyriform; r. roundish ; r. ob. roundish obtuse. Color 

 y. g. yellow or yellowish green, with a red or russet-red 

 cheek ; y. r. yellow and russet ; y. when mostly yellow or 

 yellowish. Quality g. good ; v. g. very good; b. best. 

 Use f. valuable family desert; k. m. kitchen and mar- 

 ket ; f. m. family and market. Season s. summer ; 1. s. 

 late summer ; a. autumn ; e. a. early autumn ;. 1. a. late 

 autumn; w. winter. Origin En. English; Am. Amer- 

 ican ; F. French ; Fl. Flemish ; B. Belgium ; H. Holland. 



With apples, our list ranges ten to forty ; with pears we 

 reduce and make it ten to thirty. Our list of the best is 

 as follows : 



