122 



GENESEE FARMER. 



May. 



Pear Tree Blight. 



Mr. Editor :— Will you not, through the medium of 

 your paper, vvliich if so extensively (iissemiiiated all over 

 this sefiiJDii of tlie Union, endeavor to oblain the knowl 

 edge of some facts in relation to the blight in Pears ? The 

 point to wliicli i espeeially desire to call attention is, the 

 kinds whicli a,-e well ascertained to lie entirely unaffected 

 by it. I do not by any mean-i despair of rinding a preven- 

 tive of this sad disease — but, mismuch as it still continues 

 to be exceedingly destructive, it is very desirable to learn 

 the kinds w hich are proof against it. I'erhfips you can give 

 the world the n imes of various kinds, which you believe 

 are not subject to this disease. If you can, please do so in 

 the Farmer, ami call for information— and if no one among 

 all your sunscribers knows that the kinds specified have 

 ever been affected, that will furni.sh strong evidence in their 

 favor. An I if any one shall h ive known any of the speci- 

 fied kinds to be affected by the blight, no doubt the infor- 

 mation wiil be communicated with pleasure— with such a 

 description of the m inner in which the trees were affected 

 B8 shall enable us all to decide upon the kind of blight. 



The Onondaga does not escape in the general wreck, and 

 indeed I know of no one that does, unless it be the Seckel. 

 Hare you ever known this to he touched by It ? It is said bv 

 Downing that the Andrews escapes, but as that is not cul- 

 tivated much if any in this part of tiie State, 1 have the ben- 

 eiit of no experience. What other kinds can you add to 

 these .' I am confident that your long experience must be 

 valuable on ihis subject, and I hope you will give us the 

 benefit of it, even if it estiblishes the fact th it there are 

 very few or even no kinds which escape the general con- 

 tagion. Let us know the worst of our case, and we will 

 then set about finding a remedy if possible. 



'i'ruly, E. W. Leavenworth. 



Syracuse, March 'i, 1747. 



In compliance with our correspondent's sug- 

 gestion, we have applied to some of the most e.v- 

 perienced cultivators of fruit in Western New 

 York for any facts in their possession in relation 

 to this subject, and give below the remarks of 

 three gentlemen well known to the Horticultural 

 world. 



We have not observed the operations of this 

 malady, on particular varieties, with that degree 

 of minuteness that would justify us in expressing 

 an opinion, at present. We intend, during the 

 the coming season, to give as much attention to 

 it as possible, and we solicit the co-operation of 

 our friends in the investigation. The insect 

 blight, which occurs towards autumn, is much 

 more prevalent here, than that designated by 

 some as the frozen sap blight. In a collection 

 of many thousand trees, we have only had two 

 —the Madelaine and St, Ghislain, side by side — 

 affected by the latter in a period of seven years, 

 while numbers of pear, apple and quince are 

 every season attacked by the former. In ail in- 

 vestigations upon this subject, it is necessary to 

 discriminate between the two. The insect blight 

 first appears on the young shoots, and the other 

 on the trunk or large branches, in black spots. 

 Several facts have recently been communicated 

 to us, that we will present hereafter. 

 David Thomas, Esq., of Aurora, says: 

 P. B.vRt.v :— Thy favor of the 9th instant is before me. 

 In regard to the great pear blight iii my fruit garden, I can- 

 not s ly any thing more pertinent than what I sent to the 

 Ohio (Jultivator. in the summer of 1815, while the particu- 

 lars were fresh in my memory ; and to save thee from the 

 troui.le of a search. I subjoin a copy : 



"The severe frost on the morning of the 30th [Mr.y,] 

 produced ten times n\ore Jire blight thai? 1 ever saw before. 



It was not confined to the pear tree, though that suffered 

 most ; but the apple tree, and the quince tree, share largely 

 in the calamity ; and even the chirry tree which was not 

 on the list of such as were susceptible of this malady, did 

 not escape. 



"This visitation has furnished the clearest proof that fire 

 blight is not always the work of insects. No trace of it had 

 been discovered of hue years in the neighborhood ; and now 

 it fell on us like a shower — not slowly increasing, as if in- 

 sects were extending their colony. On a branch of the 

 Beurre Sntin, most of the fruit perished almost immediately, 

 and in a few days, part of the leaves and twigs gradually 

 assumed the usual appearance of fire blight. It was not the 

 most thrifty shoots, however, that suffered most, as in form- 

 er cases wliich had come under my observation ; but stunt- 

 ed twigs of a lingers length, were killed down to the main 

 branch. 



"The irregular manner in which this fire blight has ap- 

 peared, destroying only a few twigs on some trees, and 

 dozens on others under the same temperature, — might in- 

 duce some to believe it the work of insects ; but plants 

 which insects never attack, present similar irregularities. I 

 have two t\ne sbrubs of the laurel ( Kalmia latifoUa.) with 

 shoots about three inches long of the present year's growth, 

 Part of them were killeil an:l part not damaged in the least; 

 and thougii it might be diflicult to explain such phenomena 

 on any known principles, yet the facts are incontestible. 



" VVe have had no frost so severe as this, and so late in 

 the season, since the year 1817." 



Doubtless, some varieties of the pear are more tender than 

 others, and yet there is a danger of deciding too hastily. — 

 Thus, of Steven's Genesee, I lost one tree entirely, while 

 another was much injure! thougli I entertain hopes of its 

 recovery. The same disaster happened to a large tree of 

 the Madelaine, which we cut down in consequence ; but an- 

 other of the same variety escaped much better, and has eon^ 

 tinued to bear good crops of fruit. Much may depend on 

 the situation. Where grafts of different kinds, however, 

 stand on the same tree, and some die while others flourish,- 

 the evidence sesms more conclusive. Thus I had lion 

 Chretien Fotidinite, and the Early Deiizalonian, on a tree of 

 the Summer Bon C/iretieu : the former perished, and the 

 latter entirely escaped. On another tree of the same varie- 

 ty, the Jatons'-e was killed outright, while the tree itself— 

 like all others of this sort — was but slightly damaged ; and 

 so has been the fienrre Did. 



No kinds, however, have escaped better than the Seckel, 

 Virgnlieu, Wiishingtnn, (with one exception,) Drown 

 Beurre, Jargonelle, Doyenne gris, Skinless, and Suminet 

 Franc Real ; and none have fared worse than Bisliop'a 

 Thumb, Napolemi, and Rcine Caroline. The Frederic de 

 Wnrtembnrg. Flemish Beauty, St. Ghislain, the Th'ijiipsnn, 

 and Dearborn's Seedling, arc also among the sufferers ; but 

 the main trunks on which they stood appear to be tainted; 

 and this may perhips account for their condition. Passe 

 Colinar and Marie Lonise have also suffered much. 

 Very respectfully thy friend, 



David Thomas. 



Great field, near Aurora, 3d mo. 12, 1847, 



P. Barry, ksq. . — Yours of the 12th inst is before me, in 

 which you request of mn a desc iption of the apple known 

 as tlie "Green Sweeting." and my opinion of its valuable 

 qualities. This is the same apple that was described in the 

 Vew England Earmer as the Green Sweeting or Molasses 

 Apple. It was then cultivated in New Hampshire, Massa- 

 chusetts, and Rhode Island, and from the latter State was 

 brought to this county about sixteen years since, by Sam- 

 uel Clark, Esq., and was propagated upon the farm now 

 occupied by Maj. Upton in Greece. It has been eagerly 

 sought after by all wlio have tasted the fruit. In its growth 

 it is strong, and upriglit, and the shoots covered thickly 

 with fruit-spurs. It is a gotid bearer, and although the 

 young shoots arc upright, mikiqg one of the handsomest 

 nursery trees, yet in a bearing state they bend off', forming 

 well proportioned tops. 



The fruit is of medium size, rather oblong than round, 

 somewhat resembling the " Golden Sweeting; ' akiu ftmnoth, 

 at first green, but as it ripens becoming a light yellow. — - 

 Flesh of a delicate sweetness, juicy, anJ moiling. In eat- 

 ing from M irch to May, but may be kept longer. 



As to the qualities of this fruit I do not hesitate to pro- 

 nounce it one of the most valuable sweet apples of the sea^ 

 son cultivated witii us, not exca|)ting the " Sodus SweHtng" 

 Sep vol. 7, Hovey, and Thatcher's Orchardjst. 



