178 APPENDIX. 



early day, and even now specimens are known of over a century old- 

 is really but little understood, as to its natural habits, the food neces- 

 sary for its proper nutriment, and the cause of its diseases. Theories 

 based on what have seemed to be the best of reasons, have signally 

 failed in many instances. And often whole orchards, embracing many 

 sorts, and composed of both standards and dwarfs, have died in a few 

 years, and no known remedy would save them. 



The most serious and the most devastating of the diseases to which 

 the pear is liable, is the blight. It seems to be confined to no particu- 

 lar locality ; to make its appearance in all sections of the country ; and 

 in a great variety of soils. Many remedies for it have been proposed 

 and tried ; and while some, perhaps all, have seemed successful in some 

 cases, all of them have signally failed in others. 



This blight is insidious in its attacks. It begins, no one knows where 

 — and, we believe, no one knows wht. It resists any and every attempt 

 at cure. It will attack old trees in the orchard and young trees a year 

 or two old in the nursery ; and it will spare others of the same varieties 

 by their side, under the same sort of culture and in the same character 

 of soil ; and no man can tell why one is chosen and the other is left. It 

 wiU destroy an orchard of dwarfs in a few years, while a mile distant 

 an orchard of standards has gone the same way. Underdrained and 

 highly cultivated trees, as well as those subject to moderate culture, 

 and those with no culture at all, are all liable to its attacks. It will ap- 

 pear in a score of places in remote parts of the tree at the same time — in 

 the foliage, in the twigs, in the bark of the branches, and on the stem ; 

 while other bark and foliage on the same twigs and branches remain 

 untouched. It will cause the half-grown fruit on one large or small 

 branch to wither and blacken, while that on a contiguous branch will 

 remain sound to maturity. Foliage, twig, and fruit, on some branches, 

 will remain green and untouched, while probably a foot in length below, 

 on the same branch, the bark all around the stem is black and dead. 

 Usually, during the Fall, or the succeeding year after the attack, the 

 whole tree dies. 



Such is Pear Blight — as the writer has seen It in numerous instances, 

 and as it has appeared all over the country ; blasting the hopes of the 

 planter, upsetting the speculations of the theorists, and defying the 

 skill of the scientific investigator. It is a gloomy picture, but a true 

 one. Millions have been lost to the country by it, and will continue to 

 be — how much longer, the Disposer of events only knows. 



Under such a state of facts, it can hardly be expected that we shall 

 offer any -emedy. We know of nothing that is at all reliable. Yet 

 certain conditions have been found more favorable than others. A dry, 

 well-drained soil, not too rich, highly manured, is deem d mcst 



