1871 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



305 



Failure ot tbe Apple Crop.— Bees on Grapes. 



Bt J. B. Q., Columbia, P*. Nov. ■), 1871. 



Ed. Pomologist and Gardener : — Here in old 

 Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I may just say 

 " as usual," no apples. Since 1835 we have had but 

 two or three moderate crops on our apple trees. 

 Previous to that time the trees would seldom fail of 

 bearing heavy crop.? every other year. Since then 

 failures have been the rule, and fruit the exception. 

 I am fully of the opinion that the cause was 

 the severe cold during January, 1835, that killed 

 many of our apple trees, and sickened others so 

 that they never after became sufficiently recovered 

 to bear fruit, though many trees of that date are 

 still living. The thermometer indicated 24 degrees 

 below zero. Peaches and sweet cherries were near- 

 ly all killed on level ground. 



For some ten or fifteen years farmers planted 

 very few trees, hoping that the old orchards would 

 recover. Then when young orchards were again 

 planted, and nearly ready to bear, on January 9th, 

 1856, the mercury fell to 22 degrees below zero, and 

 again in 1857, January 28d, 20 degrees, and Janua- 

 ary 24th, 22 degrees below. Then our young or- 

 chards were again made sick. Thus I attribute the 

 failure of our apple trees bearing fruit, to the se- 

 vere cold as the chief cause. 



After each of those cold spells, on cutting down 

 a tree, the wood was found black and watery ; even 

 at present, though the sound wood has grown over 

 this black heart wood, the years of growth can ea- 

 silj be counted back to 1856 and 1857, and on old 

 trees back to 1835 — the new layers of wood being 

 ■white. 



In some special localities there has been a fair 

 crop of apples this last season, generally on high 

 ground, or on stony or slatey soils, or on northern 

 exposures. On our limestone soils, where formerly 

 our trees bore large crops, so long as a sound limb 

 remained on the trees, now if even a few scattering 

 apples do appear, they are usually wormy and drop 

 from the trees before the proper time. I well re- 

 member the time when we had Fallawater and 

 Winter Sweet Paradise, keep sound till May, and 

 Rambos till March. Now even when the trees ap- 

 pear all right, the few apples fall off in August and 

 September, too imperfect to keep more than a 

 week or two. 



Pears we had a fine crop, and mostly of very fine 

 quality. Peaches and cherries in profusion, small 

 fruits also in great plenty, even the wild fruits 

 such as Raspberries and Blackberries, more than 

 usual. Chestnuts too, bore more profusely than for 

 many years. 



Grapes also succeeded well, net much mildew or 

 rot; but what to me was strange — though I formerly 

 kept bees, I had never known them to injure the 



grapes— while this season, my neighbor's bees, a 

 mile and two off, came in swarms to suck the juice 

 as fast as the berries became sweet. Formerly my 

 trouble was with the cat-birds and thrushes peck- 

 ing and spoiling the bunches; this season birds had 

 plenty of wild fruit, so they did not seriously in- 

 jure the grapes, but the bees and wasps were ten 

 times worse. Of my many varieties hardly a per- 

 fect bunch was saved. 



We are having a very fine fall, only a few frosts 

 so far. Our farm crops have generally turned out 

 more than an average. Wheat better than for 

 many years ; corn extra ; potatoes a large crop ; to- 

 bacco never a finer crop raised in this county ; hay 

 was rather a light crop, and oats poor. Pasture has 

 been abundant all the after part of the season, and 

 is yet plenty and good. Farmers have a fine time 

 to get through with their fall work. More anon. 



Pear Blight. 



Are Fungi the Came, and is Boot Pruning tfie Bemedy for this 



Disease. 



By the CoRREapoNDiNG Editor. 



If fungi are [the cause of the blight, it is hard to 

 account for the following facts : First, they almost 

 universally attack wood of the most vigorous 

 growth, made during the preceding season. Sec- 

 ondly, they are said not to attack trees during a very 

 dry summer. Thirdly, they, it is said, have never 

 been known to attack trees either in California or 

 Italy. Fourthly, they will attack trees in a 

 most destructive form on one piece of ground, 

 and on another piece of ground not one hun- 

 dred yards distant, containing trees of the 

 same kind and same age, and even of the same va- 

 riety, they make no attack whatever, notwithstand- 

 ing all the trees are surrounded by the same cir- 

 cumstances, in regard to heat and cold, wet and 

 dry, sunshine and shower. 



Now, from the foregoing facts and statements, it 

 is difficult to conceive how these fungi attack 

 strong, healthy trees, rather than feeble and 

 unhealthy ones, which would seem to be more 

 easily overcome. It is also difficult to conceive 

 why it is that they do not attack in a very dry 

 summer. If they are indeed the cause of 

 blight, It would seem from the analogy of disease, 

 that the most feeble growth would be the most lia- 

 ble. If the pear tree is their favorite tree for 

 attack, why is it that they are never attacked either 

 in Italy or in California. It is surely not to be pre- 

 sumed that fungi are not to be found in those coun- 

 tries. Their attacking trees of the same kind and 

 not attacking others side by side with those that 

 arc, is hard to reconcile with jtheir universal pres- 

 ence, and their uniform preference for the pear 

 tree. 



We are therefore forced to the conclusion, that 



