50 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



their attack, or rather, the germs not finding the proper conditions of 

 food will fail to grow. I have yet to find a single tree that has been 

 attacked by blight that had not, in some way, been seriously weak- 

 ened. The causes which may lead to the attack of this disease are 

 want of plant food, or exhaustion of the soil, a wet soil, mutilation 

 of the roots by the plow, or of the top by borers or improper 

 pruning, and by overbearing. 



To overcome, or rather prevent the disease, I would manure lib- 

 erally in the fall or early spring with manures or fertilizers con- 

 taining an abundance of potash and phosphoric acid, with enough 

 nitrogenous matter to keep up a moderately vigorous growth ; get 

 rid of all surplus water by underdraining, and if the land is culti- 

 vated, not to use the plow or cultivator after August 1st. We can- 

 not control the conditions of the seasons, which may sometimes 

 affect the trees so as to bring on the blight, but in nine cases out of 

 ten, I believe we can prevent injury by intelligent treatment. 



TVriG BLIGHT. 



The twig blight of the apple and quince is probably of the same 

 nature as the above, and requires the same conditions to prevent 

 attack. In all cases it is advisable to remove the injured branches 

 at once and burn them, to prevent as far as possible the spread of 

 the spores, 



SUN SCALD OR CANKER. 



In many apple orchards the ends of the branches die ofl^ 

 in large numbers and we find that the injury begins at some 

 distance from the end of the branch in a black cankered spot. 

 Upon examination with the lens we find upon these spots, more 

 or less hidden under the bark, numerous small mealy insects 

 which feed upon the juices of the tissues. From this point decay 

 spreads and the branch must be removed to keep the trees in good 

 form and appearance. The decay of the branch is due to the in- 

 crease of minute organism for which there may be no remedy after 

 attacked, but by keeping the trees in a vigorous condition they may 

 overcome the injury in some degree. All injured branches should be 

 removed and burned as soon as the injury is noticed. 



LEAF BLIGHTS, RUSTS, ETC. 



Ot an entirely different habit of growth are the leaf blights, rusts 

 and mildews that are so abundant and so injurious to our farm and 



