306 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



1871 



the cause of pear blight, if ever discovered, will he 

 found in something other tlian the attacks of fungi 

 upon trees which aresoundand healthy. That fungi 

 are found in disorgauized tissue.?, those which have 

 had withdrawn from them that mysterious principle 

 which we call life, is certainly not an evidence that 

 they are the cause of this disorganization. But as 

 they are always found, if found at all, not in healthy 

 tissues, but ouly where disorganization already 

 exists ; the presumption is, in our opinion, conclu- 

 sive, that they are the consequence, and not the 

 cause of this disorganization. If, indeed, they are 

 the cause of disorganization in healthy trees, how 

 is it that they, like the carrion crow, are never 

 found but where putrid matter is found. This 

 bird is never known to attack anything in health. 

 Death is the common lot of all living organized 

 bodies, and it is in accordance with the wisdom of 

 the great Ruler of the universe, to have something 

 to act as scavengers to remove from around his 

 creatures, those things which if left, would render 

 their situation quite intolerable, and would convert 

 the earth into one common burying -ground. 

 These fungi arc therefore wisely provided, not for 

 the production of disease but for the removal of its 

 causes out of the way. 



These fungi are also said to be the cause of near- 

 ly, if not all, the fearful diseases which flesh is heir 

 to, as cholera, small-pox, consumption, &c. When- 

 ever the medical colleges of the world teach this 

 doctrine, we shall then begin to think there may 

 be some truth in it ; but until then, we shall believe 

 that we are neither a walking forest nor a floating 

 menagerie. 



We now come to consider our second proposi- 

 tion, and that is, if blight exists in the pear or any 

 other tree, whether produced by fungi or other- 

 wise, is root pruning the remedy ? 



We will suppose our tree which is to be the sub- 

 ject of our experiment, to be transplanted to the 

 orchard where it is finally to remain. Everything 

 now done in the way of pruning that sliould be 

 done in accordance with the objects we have in 

 planting the tree. This is, in the case of every fruit 

 tree, the production of the best fruit which science 

 and art, as for as we can apply them can be made to 

 yield. This tree, if of a bearing age and left to itself, 

 would produce more wood than would in most cases 

 be consistent with the production of the finest fruit, 

 which the tree, if differently managed, would bring 

 forth. In this case, so to speak, fruit, the finest 

 fruit, should be upon the brain. Upon the subject 

 of fruit-growing we must be, to some extent, mono- 

 maniacs, or we will not be likely to succeed in a 

 very high degree. Hence in the matter of pruning 

 we must always bear in mind that a due propor- 

 tion between the root and the top should be main- 

 tained, always remembering that fruit is the object 



of our eflForts. As the root has to furnish food for 

 both wood and fruit, it should have a just prepon- 

 derance over the top ; enough to make a proper 

 amount of wood, as well as to grow and ripen a 

 reasonable crop of fine fruit. Now, if we abruptly 

 destroy this just balance between the root and the 

 top, we defeat the object for which we started out, 

 the greatest nvnount of the finest fruit. This bro- 

 ken balance between the root and the top is pro- 

 duced by either very heavy pruning of the top or 

 the root. In either case the life of the tree is in 

 great danger. Root pruning upon a healthy tree 

 has the effect to throw it into early and profuse 

 bearing, but every time it is performed the vitality 

 of the tree is lessened, until it finally dies of pre- 

 mature old age. Hence, if root pruning has this 

 effect upon a healthy tree, it surely cannot have 

 any other effect upon a tree already seriously dis- 

 eased, than to hasten its destruction. Root prun- 

 ing cannot therefore be a remedy for blight in the 

 pear tree. As a preventive it may, and no doubt 

 does, have some influence when judiciously per- 

 formed, but under any circumstance it will shorten 

 the life of the tree. There are circumstances, 

 when the life of the tree is considered of less value 

 than a certain amount of fruit in a very short time, 

 then root pruning may be indulged in, but never as 

 a remedy for blight, when this disease is once fully 

 developed. 



»— ♦ — # 



The ImproTement or Vegetables and Frnlts. 



Ed. Pomologist and Gardener — The improve- 

 ment of Vegetables and Fruits by proper cultivation. 

 Every plant in the vegetable kingdom, whether 

 vegetable, grain, fruit, or whatever it may be, is 

 possessed of certain organs that are as absolutely 

 necessary to its existence and growth, as the vari- 

 ous organs of animals or man are necessary to 

 their growth ; and while these organs may not be 

 as extensive in plants as in members of the animal 

 kingdom, at the same time, the labors which they 

 are destined to perform are as intricate. 



All plants derive their food from the original 

 elements of nature, consisting of the minerals of 

 which the earth is composed, or of the gasses of 

 the atmosphere, which are united in different com- 

 binations. And, as in the mineral kingdom the 

 union of simple elements in certain limited quan- 

 tities is necessary to the formation of perfect crys- 

 talized specimens of each mineral class, which com- 

 bination ever remains constant ; so in the vegetable 

 kingdom, each species of plants requires a similar 

 union of simple elements for its formation, and 

 also, while in the mineral kingdom in the case of 

 any particular class of minerals, if in the combi- 

 nation of its elements, there is a slight deficiency 

 in any elements, the result will be an imperfect 



