400 



GARDENING FOR THE SOUTH. 



disastrous, for, out of some two hundred and fifty trees, 

 not more than twenty have escaped the pestilence. The 

 frozen sap theory has been a very plausible and favorite 

 one with Northern pomologists, but is not the correct one, 

 for the reason that the sap never freezes here in our warm 

 climate. 



There is but one remedy for the disease that we have 

 ever had any success with, and that is the free use of 

 the saw and knife. Cut off the diseased limb, or trunk, a 

 foot below the lowest affected spot, and you may some- 

 times save the life of the tree, but not always. 



Whenever the leaves begin to wither, or .the tree ceases 

 growing, at once examine the trunk and larger limbs for 

 the gangrened spot, which is sure to be on one or both ; 

 when you have once discovered the diseased spot, don't hesi- 

 tate, but amputate it at once; it will result in the death 

 of the tree if you let it go on, and it can do no more if 

 you kill it by a surgical operation. 



We have thus far found no difference in good, bad, and 

 indifferent cultivation. In our vegetable garden, where the 

 soil is rich and well cultivated, we have lost by blight, 

 within the last three years, at least three-fourths of our 

 trees, and in our orchard, in sod, and in moderate cultiva- 

 tion, about the same proportion. Dwarfs and standard 

 trees have fared alike. 



Query. — Have we not poisoned the whole race of pears 

 by working it on the quince stock? For this tree is subject 

 to the same disease, and when it attacks it, it usually 

 dies. If so, how are we to get out of the scrape? 

 Sowing seeds and raising new ones will not help us ; for 

 the seeds themselves are impregnated with the virus, which 

 will, sooner or later, manifest itself. The only remedy 

 will be to go back to such trees as the Endicott, Dix, 

 and Seckel; sow the seeds from these, and get a new, 

 pure, and unadulterated race to begin with, and keep them 

 clear from the quince stock. 



