1847. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



123 



You also inquire '• whetlier I have observed any difTer- 

 ence in the "liability oldifferent kinds of I'ears to the blight. 

 I answer. 1 have — so far as to Uahility, I think the old Au- 

 tumn I'onchretirn stands first. With regard lo the Seckel, 

 I have not known it to be injured at ail. The first tree cul- 

 tivated in this county, more than twenty-five years since, 

 is now, or was the past season, upon w hat was the Jesse 

 Ilawley farm, on the east side of the river, and a little be- 

 low your nursery. As many of those in this neighborhood, 

 of the older growth, have been propagated from that, and 

 as you are collecting facts on the subject, it may be well 

 for you to i^all and examine the original tree. 



The first pear tree atiacked with this insect (malady) in 

 the neighlK>rhood of Rochester was one on the premises of 

 Mr. VVkst, on Washington street. I observed it, and called 

 and requested the privilege of cutting out and burning the 

 branch on which it appeared, but was refused. From that 

 neucleus it spread in diiferent directions. That tree was a 

 Bonchreiien. 



1 have thought that the "liability^' might depend upon 

 the shape and formation of the bud, as we know some af- 

 ford a more ready slielter for insects than others ; while 

 gome that are small, and lie close to the branch, do not af- 

 ford any place for their secretion. 



Yours respectfully, 



Greece, Marrli 13, 1847. N. Uoousell. 



Friend Barry : — In answer to your inquiries relative to 

 the I'ear tree blight, and what varieties with me have been 

 most liable to be attacked with this disease, I reply in brief 

 that my experience in the matter has been qui e limited. — 

 After a residence here of 40 years, and having been for 

 many years somewhat extensively engaged in growing the 

 pear, ihe sum total of all the trees in my grounds, that have 

 been afliected with the disease, is only six. 



Some eight years since, early in summer, I discovered in 

 one of the nursery rows three trees whose leaves and 

 branches had become withered and turned quite black. I 

 cut them down close to the ground, and burnt them. This 

 variety was the Winter Bell, of but one years growth from 

 the bud, and had made a very vigorous growth the year 

 previous. My present impression is that it was a clear case 

 of frozen sap hl'ight. The other cases have been among 

 standard trees, of which I have a very large number. Tlie 

 Belle de Bruxelles, a tree some ten feet high was attacked, 

 nearly one half of the upper branches turned black. 1 cut 

 it down to within two feet of the ground, far below where 

 it showed any elTeets of the disease. It again sprouted and 

 flung up strong shoots, but no symptoms of the disease has 

 since appeared. 



A large iree, planted about 35 years ago, some six years 

 since exhibiter! signs of this disease in the upper branches. 

 They were cut out; but nearly every year since some of 

 the branches have withered ; the m lin trunk of the tree at 

 last became affected, and the past year it was cut down to 

 the ground. 



Three years ago last autumn a very large tree of the Or- 

 ange Pear suddenly began to wither and droop. The leaves 

 did not turn black, but merely drooped as when suffering 

 from drouth. It was not very dry at the time: the tree was 

 near 40 feet high, and the loots had spread wide and deep. 

 During the fall the tree appeared to revive ; and in the fol- 

 lowing spring it put out ai^ fresh as ever, and, as I then sup- 

 posed, healthy and vigorous. But early in June the leaves 

 and branches suddenly turned black, and the whole tree, 

 roots and branches, died at once. The inner bark of the 

 trunk and branches was quite black, and very readily remo- 

 ved from the wood. 



Without farther experience and invesrigation, I am not 

 disposed now to give an opinion in regard to the cause or 

 causes producing this disease. Yet I am disposed, even 

 now, to hazard the opinion that the last named case was 

 not a case of frozen sap blight. 



Respectfully yours, B. Hodge. 



Buffalo Nursery, March 11. 1847. 



Woo;lpeckers. 



Mr. Editor : — On the 75th page of the cur- 

 rent volume of the FariTier, I find an article 

 signed " Inquirer,'* concerning "a snnall speck- 

 led bird called Woodpecker" — and beneath, your 

 answer to inquirer. It appears to nie that you 



did not rightly understand him. The bird in- 

 quired about, although belonging to the " genus 

 Picus," is more conimonly known to farmers by 

 the naiTie of "sap-suckers" — from the circunti- 

 stance that during the latter part of summer and 

 fore part of autumn they appear to subsist entire- 

 ly on the sap of certain trees, among which are 

 the apple. 



In order to be supplied with plenty of food, 

 these birds go fi-om tree to tree making circles 

 of small holes through the bark of them. Into 

 these holes the elaborated sap is forced, and the 

 birds may be seen going froni one tree to anoth- 

 er extracting the same, without making the least 

 search for insects. I have often killed them 

 while thus engaged, and have examined the con- 

 tents of their stomachs, but have never discover- 

 ed the remains of any insects, or their larva, in 

 them. 1 have known them to greatly injure 

 trees by their perforations, and in one instance 

 an apple tree was entirely killed. 



From the known habits of this genus of birds, 

 it is to be supposed that during throe-fourths of 

 the year, this species may subsist upon insects, 

 but whether the benefits conferred during this 

 time over-balance the injury done during the 

 remainder of the year, detnands a doubt. I rec- 

 ommend killing all that frequent orchards at the 

 season when they commence their depredations. 



Greece, March 7, 1847. G. 



Remarks. — We are much obliged to our cor- 

 respondent for his intended correction ; still we 

 believe that we understood the inquirer aright, 

 and answered him correctly. We were aware 

 of the opinion that existed about the "sap suck- 

 ing," and of the provincial appelation given to 

 the bird, of " sap-sucker ;" but considered them 

 both incorrect and improper, if not absurd, and 

 therefore did not mention them. The reasons 

 we have for su?h belief will be found in the fol- 

 lowing extract from Wilsoii's American Ornith- 

 ology:— 



In more than fifty orchards which 1 have myself carefully- 

 examined, those trees which were marked by the Wood- 

 pecker (for some trees they never touch, perhaps because 

 not penetr.iled by insects) were uniformly the most thri- 

 ving, and seemina;ly the most productive ; many of these 

 were upwards of sixty years old, their trunks completely 

 covered with holes, while the branches were broad, luxuri- 

 ant, and loaded wilh fruit. Of decayed trees, more than 

 three-fourths were nntojched by the Woodpecker. Seve- 

 ral intelligent farmers, with whom I have conversed, can- 

 didly acknowledge the truth of these ohservaliims, and with 

 justice look upon these birds as benedcial ; but the most 

 common opinion :s, that they bore the trees to suck the 

 sap, and so destroy its vegetation : though pine and other 

 resinous trees, on the juices of which it is n H pretended 

 they feed, are often found equally perforated. Were the 

 sap of the tree their object, the saccharine juice of the birch, 

 the sugar maple, and several others, would be much more 

 inviting, because more sweet and nourishing, than that of 

 either the pear or apple-tree ; but I have not observed one 

 mark on the former, for ten thous'nd that may he s°en on 

 the latter. Besides, the early part of spring is the season 

 when the sap Hows most abundantly : whereas, it is only 

 duriii'jr ihe mcmihs of Seotemier, October, and i\ovember, 

 thnt Woodpeckers are seen so indefatigably eni^aped in 

 orchards, probing every crack and crevice, boring through 

 the bark, and, what is worth remarking, chiedy on the south 



