Vol. V. — No.lvJ. 



NEW ENGLAND FAUiMJOK. 



91 



Remarks by ttie Editor. — Accorilinjj to Europc- 

 wiitors, Blii^lit, or Blast, is a <rcnorul nanip for 

 ions (iistciiipers inciileiit to tVuit trees, grain, 

 Mr Knight observes that blights are prodiic- 

 by a variety of causes ; by insects, by an ex- 

 is of heat or cold, of ilroupht or moisture ; for 

 se necessarily derange and destroy the dclicatp 

 miration of the blossoms ; but be believes the 

 iimou opinion, that they arise from some latent 

 iinns quality in the air, or from lightning, to be 

 Uly unfouudeJ. The term bliglil is very fre- 

 ■ntly used, he remarks, without any definite 

 a being annexed to it. If the leaves of their 

 s be eiiten by the caterpillar, or contracted by 

 aphis ; if the blossoms fall from the ravages of 

 ects, or without any apparent cause, the trees 

 equally blighted ; and if an east-wind happen 

 lave blown, the insects, or at least their eggs, ; 

 atever be their si^e, are supposed to have been ■ 

 ught by it. I 



Ir Forsyth says, blights are very destructive to I 

 it trees ; sometimes destroying the whole tree ; j 

 more frequently the loaves and blossoms, while 

 tree itself remains unhurt. 



One cause of the blight is, continuance of a ' 

 easterly wind for several days together, which ' 

 ps the perspiration in the tender blossom ; and 

 )ng continuance of the same weather equally \ 

 cts the tender leaves, causing them to wither , 

 1 decay, the perspiring matter is theieby ren- 

 ed thick and glutinous, and so becomes food I 

 those small insects, which are always found in 

 t numbers on fruit trees that are afl'ected by 

 i sort of blight. 



These insects, however, are not the original 

 :se as some imagine, but the natural conse- 1 

 mce of blight ; for VN'henever they meet with 

 h a proper nutriment they multiply ama7ingly, 

 I greatly promote tlie distemper when no uieth- 

 is taken to prevent it. 



• The best remedy for this distemper that I know 

 is, to wash them with urine and soap-suds ; and 

 sooner this is performed, whenever we appre- 

 hid danger, the better ; if the young and tender 

 Riot> seem to be much infected, wash them with 

 a.oollen cloth dipped in the same fluid that is re- 

 enmended for mildew.*" 



\nother cause of blii;ht in the Spring according 

 t Mr Forsyth, will be found in sharp hoary frosts, 

 \ ich are often succeeded by hot sun-shine; these 

 • nrtain and sudden destruction to the fruit. — 

 ; . rp pinching frosty mornings, wliich often hap- 

 |n when the trees are in flower, or while the 

 1 It i.^ very young. The remedies are protecting 

 I • trees during the night time with nets, burning 

 iter tlie windward side of the trees, &c. In 

 fill cases, however, American farmers would 

 IV nothing of blight, but complain of untmiely 

 )i,t. 



The kind of blight, however, which seems most 

 arly to coincide with that disorder which his 

 ■icellency Governor Li.\col5 described in his 

 n tnunie: tion, published in the first number and 

 st page of the current volume of the New Eng- 



* " Take tobacco one pound, sulphur two pounds, 

 islacked lime one peck, and about a pound of el- 

 r buds ; pour on the above ingredients ten gal- 



3 of boiling water ; covei it close and let it 

 rand till cold ; then add as much cold water as 



1 fill a hogshead. It should stan 1 two or three 

 lJS to settle, then take off the scum and it is fit 

 T use." 



land Fanner, is thus described by Mr Coxc, in his 

 •• 'freiitisf on I'Vuil Trees." 



•' That species of blight, which is sometimes 

 called the fire blight, frequently destroys trees in 

 the fullest apparent vigour and health, in a few 

 hours, turning the leaves suddenly brown, as if 

 they had passed through a hot flame, and causing 

 a morbid matter to exude from the pores of the 

 bark, of a black ferruginous appearance, this hap- 

 pens through the whole course of the warm season 

 — more frequently in weather both hot and moist, 

 aftbrding reason to believe that it arises from the 

 rays of the sun operating on the vapour, or clouds 

 floating in the atmosphere, either by concentra- 

 tion or reflection, it, generally, though not al- 

 ways, is perceived most in confined places : cer- 

 tain kinds, and particularly that most exquisite of 

 our winter pears, the St. Ucrmain, seem peculiar- 

 ly liable totliis species of blight. I have in twen- 

 ty years lost upwards of fifty trees in the fulness 

 of vigor — sometimes in tlie most open airy situa- 

 tions, and in every kind of soil. From repeated 

 observation of the kind most liable to this malady, 

 I have been led to believe, that it is somewhat 

 connected with a principle which appears to be 

 considered as a sound one, by the most judicious 

 European writers, when treating of apple trees, 

 that is the long duration of the variety. It is cer- 

 tain that natural trees, continually springing up 

 from the seed, are seldom .ittacked by this disease; 

 and the seckle pear, generally supposed to be a 

 new variety is but little affected by it — of fifty 

 bearing trees of this kind, of various ages, I have 

 not lost one entire tree from this cause — this year 

 for the first time, I have perceived the limbs of 

 some of them partially affected, and in some in- 

 stances, several large branches have been destroy- 

 ed. From the great vigor and rapidity of vegeta- 

 tion of America, pear trees if much pruned, are 

 apt to grow too fast ; — this appears to render them 

 more liable to the effect of fire-blight than other- 

 wise they would be. — I have therefore changed 

 my mode of trimming them under this impression, 

 confining it very much to suckering and merely 

 forming the tree — our heat and dryness do not re- 

 quire the growth to be so open as in Europe " 



Miller's Gardeners' Dictionary says that fire- 

 blight " is supposed to have been effected by vol- 

 umes of transparent flying vapours, which, among 

 the many forms they revolve into, may sometimes 

 approach so near a hemisphere or hemicylinder, 

 either in their upper or lower surfaces, as thereby 

 to make the beams of the sun converge enough to 

 scorch plants or trees they fall upon, in proportion 

 to the greater or less convergency of tlie sun's 

 rays." 



It should seem from the foregoing and other au- 

 thorities which might be quoted, that blast or blight 

 in fruit-trees may be caused by various circum- 

 stances and accidents, among which are East 

 Winds, Insects, such as the Scolytus Pyri, Aphis, 

 &c. untimely Frosts, over manuring, too much 

 moisture, the heat of the sun, coup de soldi, &c. — 

 And as all these causes produce effects, whose ap- 

 pearances may be such as are in coromou parlance, 

 denoiiiinated blight or blast, liorticulturists may 

 differ as respects the cause of the blight in partic- 

 ular instances, and still er.ch individual be correct. 

 In the in.-il^n''es cited by fiov. Li.ncoln, and Dr. 

 FisKE, blight might be ihe effect of solar heat. — 

 Mr LovvF.;.'.'s trees might !.° affected by the Sco- 

 lyl'if,, ai il those of ■' Cv'.'h'ct'r" oy e.'icess of nu- 

 triment, or too much moisture. But let the cause 



of blight be what it may, if the woody part of the 

 tree be injured, the remedy, where the case admits 

 of remedy, is the same, viz. cut av/ay the diseased 

 parts at somo distance below any appearance of 

 disease as speedily iis possible, and make use of 

 some of the usual applications to wounds in trees. 



THE ISABELLA (JRAPE. 



Mil Fessendf.n — The following account of the 

 Isabella grape is taken from Prince's catalogue of 

 the Linnaaan and Botanic G.irden, at Flushing, 

 Long Island, Mew York. 



^^ Isabella Grape. This is an American grape, a 

 native of Dorchester, South Carolina, and was in- 

 troiluced to New York by Mrs Isabella Gibbs, the 

 lady of George (;ibbs, Esq. of St Augustine, who 

 then resided at Brooklyn, N. Y'. and in honour of 

 that lady has been called Isabella Grape. 



" It is a dark purple fruit, of good si/e, oval form 

 and juicy, and nearly equals some European kinds, 

 and for vigour ol' growth, and abundance of yield, 

 exceeds any other yet cultivated in this country ; 

 and requires no protection during the rrinter. This 

 grape promises to rival all others in this country 

 for the purpose of making wine, as it possesses all 

 the requisites to ensure success in making w ine of 

 a fair quality, or of making brandy equal to that of 

 France. It ripens in September." 



Much inquiry has been made in your valuable 

 paper respecting Grapes suitable for and deserving 

 cultivation in New England. I believe the above 

 kind possesses the most good qualities of any now 

 cultivated, and is well worth a trial by those who 

 wish for choice fruit. In the fall of 1823 four of 

 these vines with roots were received from Prince's 

 nursery in New York, and set out in this town. 

 Last September they bore a few grapes, but this 

 season they have covered over two very large ar- 

 bours, and it is judged that not less than 5 bushels 

 of very delicious grapes have been gathered from 

 them. No protection from the weather in the 

 winter is required, nor any other trouble than the 

 usual training in autumn after the fall of the leaves, 

 and in the spring and summer to give the vines 

 the proper direction on the arbour. 



Your ob't serv't, L. W. BRIGGS. 

 . Bristol, (R. I.) October 9, 1626. 



Mr Ff.ssenpen — As you notice occasionally 

 specimens of fruit of extraordinary size, I would 

 take this occasion of mentioning an apple that grew 

 in my garden. It is a Newtown Pippin. The tree 

 in the spring was a mere switch, — almost without 

 branches. The past is the first summer in wliich 

 it has grown any of consequence, though the third 

 since it was transplanted. The apple was 13J inch- 

 es in circumference, and weighed 18J ounces. — 

 This, I perceive, is dwarfish in comparison of some 

 that have been mentioned ; but as it was a produc- 

 tion of " the Cape," I thought it might not be amiss 

 to notice it. 



An improvement in agriculture is perceptible in 

 some parts of this county witiiin a few years ; and 

 though the soil is an ungrateful one, yet an im- 

 proved culture will certainly do much for it. 



With great respect, P. FISH. 



South Barnstable, October 10, 1826. 



The English company employed in getting treas- 

 ure from the Spanish ships sunk at Vigo, are ex- 

 pected to get little more than their labour for their 

 pains. The whole of the vessels except one have 

 been searched, and nothing valuable found. 



