A NEGLECTED FRUIT. 



217 



tion goes on just as fast as the disease progresses and no 

 faster; cells may be seen near together quite full of 

 starch and also in all the degrees of emptiness. 



With the food 

 supply destroy- 

 ed, the diseased 

 branch gradual- 

 ly dies of star- 

 vation and be- 

 comes discolor- 

 ed, as do the 

 leaves. The 

 change in a p - 

 pearance does 

 not take place 

 immediately or is 

 V ery slight a t 

 first, so that it is 

 difficult to tell 

 fromexternal ap- 

 pearance how 

 far the disease 



has progressed. The cell walls are not injured and the 

 disease does nol penetrate into the wood. No opening 

 can be seen in the cell walls, even with the most power- 

 ful microscope, and it is not known how the bacteria 

 pass from one cell to another. Neither is it known how 

 the germs first enter the tree, but there is reason to be- 



FiG. B. 



lieve that they frequently enter through the blossoms at 

 fruits where there is little ot no protecting epidermis. 



Soil or culture which would produce hardy growth 

 may prevent blight to some extent, but will also reduce 

 the crop. Theonly practicable remedy is to cut off infect- 

 ed branches 

 and destroy 

 them. It will 

 not do to leave 

 them lying 

 about, as the 

 bacteria can 

 outlive the win- 

 ter and after- 

 ward propagate 

 the disease , 

 The branch 

 must be cut be- 

 low the lowest 

 diseased tissu- 

 es, and care 

 must be taken 

 not to spread 



the contagion by cutting into a diseased part and then 

 into a healthy part. If there is any doubt about the 

 safety of your knife, disinfect it, as often as necessar}', 

 by passing it through a flame. 



HaViUtrd Lhih'crsitv . A. B. Seymour. 



A NEGLECTED FRUIT. 



WORTHY OF TRIAL IN THE CENTR.^L .\ND SOUTHERN STATES. 



The edible-fruited mountain ash. Sorbus doinestica, 

 is a beautiful tree, and in France is much admired, 

 says Le Jardin, from which we translate. For our 

 central and southern states it would seem ecjually 

 desirable. It has odd pinnate leaves, white flowers 

 in clusters and small pear-shaped fruits or berries. 

 The latter are yellow, flushed with red, and though 

 they are less brilliant than those of the common 

 mountain ash, yet in September and October, when 

 the graceful pyramidal tree is covered with them, 

 they present a very ornamental appearance. 



The fruit is much appreciated in the south of 

 France, where it commands a high price. It is 

 found in the shops of Bordeaux and Toulouse from 

 October to January, both ripe and unripe. It is 

 most commonly eaten in the ripe condition, but cer- 

 tain varieties are excellent when they are just begin- 

 ning to ripen and retain a certain degree of firm- 

 ness of flesh and brilliancy of tint. Six or eight 

 varieties of different sizes are known. Among the 

 best are those known as the Large Gray, the Large 

 Pink and the Large Red. A variety of especial ex- 

 cellence is represented by a venerable tree on the 



estates of Madame Dufresne, near Bordeaux. The 

 fruits are large, pear-shaped, yellow, marked with 

 crimson, and of delicious flavor when just I'ipening. 



Another excellent variety with very large ovoid 

 fruits, pale yellow flushed v\ith r(jse color, was dis- 

 covered on the property of M. Lafitte, near Agen. 



The CoruiitT may be grafted on w ild stocks of the 

 same species, on the hawthorn, the common moun- 

 tain ash, and probably on the apple and pear. It 

 is of rather slow development, producing no con- 

 siderable crop until after six or se\'en 3'ears from 

 the graft. The tree is easy of cultivation. 



The wood is pink, fine-grained, hard and sus- 

 ceptible of a high polish. It is much in demand 

 for carpenters' tools and engravers' blocks, and com- 

 mands a higher price than the best oak. The bark, 

 when added to wine, promotes the acetous fermen- 

 tation and rapidly produces excellent vinegar. 



I'rom the fruit a beverage similar to honey is 

 made. The slow growth of the G'^v;//;-;- seems to be 

 its only bad quality, but despite this it deserves 

 much more attention than it has received, both 

 because of its ornamental and its useful properties. 



