On Blight. 



Pryse Pryse, Esq. M. P., as well as to myself (for no 

 one can see all those beautiful pear ti'ees so much injured 

 by so dreadful a disease without deep regret), I beg to say, 

 that, when I first came to my situation, about nine years 

 since, I found the complaint upon three trees only, and those 

 were upon a north cross wall. I was in hopes that it would 

 soon disappear altogether ; but, after a year or two had elapsed, 

 to my great surprise and mortification, I perceived that it got 

 much worse, and that the dreadful disease was spread in 

 different directions in the garden, and had taken its circuit 

 both east and west. It still, year after year, continues its 

 ravages. I certainly can say that I have a few trees that 

 have escaped it in another part of the garden. The trees are 

 for the most part aged, exclusive of those that I have planted 

 since I have been here, which have shared the same fate. All 

 the other trees, I have no doubt, were planted when the 

 garden was first made, which was done by my master's father, 

 E. Loveden, Esq. M.P., about fifty years since. That gen- 

 tleman was a very great horticulturist, and the garden was 

 made upon a very extensive scale, as he spared no expense. 

 There is nearly a mile of walling, which is from 12 to 14 ft. 

 in height; the soil is a strong stiff loam. There are about 70 

 fine large pear trees, many of them much admired for their 

 fine spreading branches, each tree covering many yards of 

 the wall. The whole of them throw out their first foliage well 

 at their proper season ; but when the leaves are thoroughly 

 expanded, then the disease makes its first appearance by 

 defacing the green leaves with very small red spots. 

 I am. Sir, yours, &c. 



John Merrick. 

 Buscot Park, near Farringdon. 

 Dec. 31. 1832. 



Additional to the remarks on this subject made in Vol. 

 VIII. p. 738, 739. we have now nought to present, except the 

 following quotation from Sowerby's English Fungi, wherein, 

 t. 409. and 410., two coloured figures of the fungus are 

 given, which we have copied and given in p. 329., and de- 

 tailed descriptions of its forms and habits. On these enough 

 has been said ; and we confine our quotation to Mr. Sowerby's 

 hints for preventing its increase. " ^cidium cancellatuni 

 has been long a troublesome parasite in many places, and 

 has been the cause of much loss as to the trees which it 

 attacks, as well as in expensive and useless attempts to get 

 rid of it. I think, however, its very nature, like the dry 

 rot, bespeaks an easy cure ; but easy cures do not always 



