^;. 



1863. 



THE ILLDSrOIS f AKMEK. 



261 



very healthy — they are the best of twelve varieties 

 set out ia 1822. 



Dr. Long — I think it superior to Red June in 

 quality — ^harder than any other variety. 



Mr. Miller — Thinks early apples should be 

 picked three or four days before shipping, that 

 they may color up. 



Dr. Long — I have kept the Red Junes until Sep- 

 tember, by keeping them cool and in a dark 

 place. 



It was getting late, and several of the members 

 having important business on hand, the other va- 

 rieties were passed over with a few remarks. 



KKD ASTRACHAN. 



Mr. Starr — ^My Bed Astrachans will not be ripe 

 for ten days. 



Those on the table were perfectly ripe. 

 deteeding's easlt. 



Mr. Flagg — Have compared them with the Red 

 Astrachan — am satisfied they are not the same. 

 The stem and apple is larger than the Red Astra- 

 chan, and not as high colored ; do not think there 

 is much difference in the time of ripening. 



Mr. Huggins — Are they not near enough alike to 

 be cousins ? 



Mr. Flagg — ^From what I can learn, I thiak the 

 apple originally came from Georgia. 



Dr. Long — ^I have compared the trees and fiad a 

 marked difference. 



It seemed to be the opinion of the members 



generally, that they were two distinct varieties. 



EARLY STRAWBERRY. 



Mr. Flagg — I believe it to be one of ithe most 

 profitable. 



Mr. Hnggins — Mr. Hilliard, of Brighton, says it 

 is not as profitable as the Early Harves or Red As- 

 trachan. 



SINA-QUA-NON. 



Mr. Flagg — Color objectionable ; one of the 

 most profitable varieties. 



On motion adjourned to meet on the first Satur- 

 day in August. Subject for discussion — " Early 

 varieties of Peaches." 



George Barry, . 



Secretary, 



The Pear Blight. 



Eds. Rttral New Yorker : — In your your issue 

 of the 11th of July, I find a partial description of 

 an elaborate paper read before the Illinois Natural 

 History Society by its President, B. D. Walsh, Esq., 

 with some extracts therefrom, designed to show 

 that certain insects therein described, cause what 

 we call the pear blight. Will you please permit a 

 humble individual to present through the Rurcd 

 New Yorker, a very different theory, with the rea- 

 sons for it, together with a complete remedy. 



The cause of pear blight is the heat of the sutf a 

 rays upon the trunk and branches of the tree, 

 thickening or coagulating the albumen of the sap 

 in its descent in the bark, thereby obstructing or 

 clogging the circulation of the sap, leaving it to 



putrify. If the tree be young, with the outside 

 bark tender, the first sign of injury that appears is 

 the shrinking of the bark and adhereing closely to 

 the wood, which may be easily seen by examining 

 the trunk of the tree. These shrunken spots of 

 bark which appear, from the size of a silver half- 

 dollar to that of a fifty-cent shinplaster, and such 

 spots on the lower part of the large branches, 

 generally enclosing a small twig, which will be 

 found dead, require an operation to be performed 

 in the following manner : 



Take a sharp knife and seave off the outside 

 bark, which will be found black as iak, until you 

 come to a light color, but it is not necessary to re- 

 move every vestige of the black. Then with the 

 knife slit the bark perpendicularly from a little 

 above to a litt[e below the shrunken spots. If the 

 trunk or branch be large several slits may be made. 

 A little soft soap rubbed on after the operation is 

 useful. 



I have never seen a branch of a pear tree with 

 its leaves turn black with the blight, unless upon 

 examination of the trunk or large branches I found 

 the outside bark rotten to a considerable extent, 

 from which the putrid sap was probably taken up 

 and thrown into circulation before a permanent 

 separation between the living and the dead is es- 

 tablished. And after finding such rotten spots of 

 black and shaving off the black portions and slit- 

 ting as before directed, I have never failed of ef- 

 fecting a cure. 



When the bark is found dried hard, and form- 

 ing an unyielding band around, or partly around 

 the tree, by simply slitting it and softening with 

 soft soap, if life be not entirely gone, it will recov- 

 er. And when by an effort of nature the tree re- 

 covers itself^ the bark will invariably be found 

 cracked, as if a wedge were thrust through the 

 wood and bark, thus showing what is needed to 

 relieve it. It is very rare, if ever, that we find a 

 pear tree that does not bear upon its body unmis- 

 takable signs of such spontaneous recovery. 



After applying the preceding remedy and the 

 tree recovers, bear in mind that it is liable to a 

 new attack, therefore it should be thoroughly ex- 

 amined several times during the season, for eter- 

 nal vigilence is the price of healthy pear trees. 



Now, Messrs. Editors, in conclusion, allow me to 

 remark, that if others find my remedy as effectual 

 as I have found it, for the pear blight, then it fol- 

 lows that whatever other mischief the insects before 

 referred to may do the pear tree, they do not cause 

 the blight, for this remedy in no way interferes 

 with them or their doings, but die tree recovers in 

 spite of the bugs. 



As long ago as the commencement of the Mexi- 

 can war, the writer of this caused to be published 

 in the Rochester Daily Advertiser <& Hepublvcan an 

 account of his successful experiments in arresting 

 the fire-blight, as we then called it, in the pear 

 tree, recommending precisely the same remedy as 

 now, but it was not heeded, probably be'eause it 

 was not read before a literary association. 



Henrietta, July 24, ISS3. E. May. 



Thus it will be seen that doctors disagree. Our 

 own opinion has been stated on former occasions, 

 and is supported by that of Mr. May, We shall 

 give his remedy a trial on the first occasion, but 

 thus far this season, there is no sign of the pear 

 blight in our grounds. Ed. 



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