14 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



JULY 24, 1833. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 24, 1833. 



FIRE BLIGHT. 



In some of the former numbers of the N. E. Farmer, 

 we have published a number of facts, essays and obser- 

 vations on the subject of Blight in the Pear tree and 

 some other fruit trees. In Goodsell's Genesee Farmer, 

 of the 4th inst. this subject is discussed, by the Editor. 

 at considerable length, and his remarks appear to be 

 derived from personal and careful observation. After 

 quoting largely from the N. E. Farmer, the observations 

 on this disease by Evan Thomas of Baltimore, E. B. 

 Kenrick of Newton, his Excellency Gov. Lincoln, W. 

 Jackson, Mr. Lowell, Dr. Fiske, Mr. Cranston and others. 

 Mr. Goodsell gives his own opinion as follows : 



" One reason why horticulturists have not made more 

 Satisfactory discoveries as to the cause of this disease is 

 that they have not commenced their examinations suffi- 

 ciently early, and have been led to watch the progress 

 of it after the first cause has ceased to operate. 



c: I am inclined to think that careful examinations 

 will support the following conclusions. 



" First — That the blight in Pear, Apple and Quince 

 trees, is occasioned by an insect. 



" Secondly — That it is communicated to the pistil of 

 the flower at the time that organ is in its greatest per- 

 fection or during the expansion of the flower. 



" Thirdly — That it gradually spreads from the point 

 of infection to other parts of the tree, in a manner simi- 

 lar to mortification in the animal kingdom. 



" Fourthly — That it is as capable of being communi- 

 cated by inoculation as the Small Pox. 



" Fifthly — That no tree has it, unless by inoculation, 

 until it has produced flowers. 



" In support of the first conclusion, so far as we have 

 observed this disease, it has spread from the place where 

 it first commenced in an orchard in every direction, 

 without reference to the general course of the wind at 

 the time ; and as the Quince does not come into flower 

 until after the Pear has shed its flower, it cannot be 

 attributed to an intermixture of pollen from the pear 

 tree. 



" That it commences at the point of the pistil has been 

 evident from every case we have examined, before the 

 different parts of the flower are decayed. It often ap- 

 pears that not more than one flower in the cluster is 

 infected, the fruit of the infected flower does not swell 

 as the others, which continue their growth, until the 

 mortification has by degrees descended through the 

 stem, to the woody part of the fruit spur, over which it 

 spreads, and ascends the stems of the remaining part of 

 the cluster, which may readily be observed, by a dis- 

 coloration of them as it advances. In this section of 

 country the disease will be found to have advanced thus 

 far by the first of June, when the leaves on the fruit 

 spur, so affected, will be found withering. After this, 

 the rapidity with which it spreads, depends on circum- 

 stances. Where there is the greatest quantity of albur- 

 num, or elaborated sap, the disease spreads with greatest 

 rapidity, which is increased by the state of the atmos- 

 phere ; as in warm moist weather it progresses further 

 than when dry and cool. 



" It is not till the middle of June, that this disease 

 begins to manifest itself to superficial observers. About 

 this time the mortification, from the fruit spurs, will 

 have reached the limbs ; and where they are numerous, 

 and most of them affected, they will in a short time de- 

 stroy the branch, so as to cut off all communication be- 

 tween the bark and wood. As the ascendino- sap passes 

 through the sap-wood to the leaves, before it is elabor- 

 ated, this communication is not cut off until later in the 



season, and the outer ends of the limbs remain green, 

 until the disease has penetrated the wood ; at which 

 time the ascent of the sap is cut off, and the whole limb 

 becomes discolored in a short time, often in the space of 

 a frw hours. 



" We do not pretend to be such an adept in the 

 science of Vegetable Pathology as to be able to describe 

 the manner in which the virus of this disease acts upon 

 the healthy parts of the tree, but of this we are satisfied, 

 by repeated experiments, that it is as capable of being com- 

 municated by infection as the Small Pox or any disease 

 to which the human family are subject. The manner in 

 which we have conducted these experiments is as fol- 

 lows : We have taken the discolored vivid matter from 

 between the bark and wood of a diseased limb, and put it 

 beneath the bark of a healthy tree, in some instances 

 covering the wound with a strip of rag, which had been 

 dipped in melted grafting wax, in others leaving the in- 

 cision open ; in some instances the quantity of virus 

 introduced into the healthy tree was not greater than 

 would be used to inoculate a person for the small pox ; 

 and yet in every instance, within from three to five 

 days, the disease has shown itself spreading the same as 

 in a tree which had it the " natural way." 



" Trees do not have it the natural way until they have 

 put forth blossoms. We have repeatedly seen young 

 trees growing near those which were in a diseased state, 

 which remained in perfect vigor, and this present sea- 

 son we have examined one which was of a large size 

 which had never produced any blossoms before, and this 

 vear only upon one small limb, which produced one 

 dozen bunches of flowers, nearly all of which were dis- 

 eased, so that we think by the first of July the limb 

 will have turned as black as if it had been scorched by 

 fire. 



" Amputation is the only remedy known at present. 

 As soon as the disease is observed, the limb should be 

 cut off below where it can be discovered, in doing which 

 the operator should remember that the smallest quan- 

 tity of virus is sufficient to communicate it to a healthy 

 part, if brought in contact between the bark and the 

 wood ; he should, therefore, be careful not to use an in- 

 strument for amputation which has been used to exam- 

 ine the diseased parts, unless it has been thoroughly 

 cleansed. 



" We have been thus lengthy in regard to this dis- 

 ease because it is one of vital importance to every farmer 

 who would cultivate a valuable orchard or is fond of this 

 delicious fruit. Every Pear tree in this section of the 

 country will be cut off by it unless exertions are made to 

 check it." 



We think favorably of Mr. Goodsell's theory, which 

 appears to be supported by his experiments in commu- 

 nicating the infection from one tree to another as above 

 mentioned. This theory nearly coincides with the 

 opinion of Judge Buel, who in an article on "Fire Blight" 

 published in the New England Farmer, vol. vii. page 137, 

 gave the following observations : 



" My theory is that the new disease of the pear and 

 apple trees, like that of the plum and Morello cherry, is 

 occasioned by an insect, which injects a matter through 

 the bark that poisons or vitiates the descending sap, 

 and causes disease and death. And my reasons for this 

 opinion are briefly, — 



" 1 . That the progress of the disease is down with 

 the elaborated or proper sap towards the trunk and root, 

 and not up with the ascending sap towards the extremi- 

 ties and leaves ; that it is perceptible to a greater extent 

 on the cambium, and inner bark, than on the exterior sur- 

 face. The former will be found brown, in longitudinal 

 slips, sometimes an inch lower than the exterior is affect- 

 ed. The sap frequently continues to ascend, is elaborated 

 and nourishes and preserves the verdure at the extrem- 



ity, after the branch is affected, and the whole circle 

 of the bark below has become brown and withered ; 

 and in these cases it is not until the sap-wood under 

 the blighted part is contracted by disease, and refuses to 

 perform its office, that the extremity perishes. 



" 2. That the commencement of the disease, from 

 what I have stated, is in the descending sap, is commu- 

 nicated next to the bark, and finally to the wood. 



" 3. That it is most common in thrifty branches, 

 tender bark, and new wood. And 



" 4. That it appears only when the sap is in full flow, 

 and vegetation luxuriant ; and extends in proportion to 

 the vigor of circulation and growth. 



" What the insect is that does the mischief, I will not 

 pretend to determine. I have seen insects, in the morn- 

 ing, so firmly attached to a branch, (at the commence- 

 ment of the new growth,) of an apple tree, that cutting 

 off the limb did not disturb them ; and at evening I have 

 found many of them enveloped in the dead and curled 

 leaves of a branch which they had probably destroyed 

 in part. As I am no entomologist, I submitted them to 

 a gentleman of science, who gave them the generic 

 name of saperda, the specific name not being known. 



THE SEASON IN MAINE. 



Extract of a letter from the Proprietor of the N. E. Far- 

 mer, now travelling in the State of Maine, to the Editor. 



The State of Maine has now, July 20th, a beautiful 

 appearance. Hay crops are good. Corn has improved 

 rapidly, and the prospect is quite favorable for the farmer. 

 The country between Augusta and Bangor is under very 

 good cultivation, and there are some most excellent 

 farms in this part of the State, especially in Vassalbor- 

 ough and Dixmont. Indeed there is nothing wanting 

 throughout the State but a still more general and exten- 

 ded circulation of the New England Farmer, to make 

 Maine a gTeat Pattern Farm, inviting and rewarding 

 the inspection and imitation of cultivators generally 

 throughout the Union. 



Mow your Canada Thistles. Now is the time to cut 

 down this troublesome enemy and prevent its going to 

 seed. Every part of the farm and every highway and 

 byeway should be visited with the scythe, and every 

 thistle cut and raked up and put into the Hogpen ; or if 

 there should chance to be any that have been out of 

 blossom a little while, these should be burnt, for the 

 seed will draw nourishment enough from the stalk to 

 ripen it, and multiply itself on the wings of the slightest 

 breeze, ten thousand fold. Hundreds of loads of Ma- 

 nure might be made from it in some places, and this 

 manure converted into something valuable. Now is the 

 time, up, up, up and be doing. — Maine Farmer. 



ITEMS OP INTELLIGENCE. 



Frankfort, Ky. July 9. 



Cholera. We are still under the necessity of filling 

 columns with accounts of the progress of this disease. It 

 still prevails extensively in many parts of the state, and 

 we hear daily of the deaths of some of our useful and en- 

 terprising citzens. The summer of 1833 will long be re- 

 membered by the people of Kentucky, as the year of 

 mourning and distress. No country has suffered more, 

 and no country had reason to expect a lighter visitation 

 from cholera. Here, there is nothing in the habits of 

 the people, — in their diet — or in the climate, tending to 

 produce unusual mortality — on the contrary, the abun. 

 dance of food — the cleanliness of the people, and 

 the purity of the air, have heretofore rendered Kentuc- 

 ky remarkable for health. — Commonwealth. 



A woman at St Louis, Missouri, supposed to be dead, 

 was put into her coffin, and the lid fastened down; 

 but happily, before her interment, she revived, and, at the 

 last date, was convalescent and likely to recover. 



