MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, &<s. 251 



very hurtful to them. This difeafe fhould be treated in the 

 fame manner as the mildew ; but, as has been already ob- 

 ferved, trees fhould be watered, or waihed, early enough in 

 the day to get dry before the cold of the night comes on ; nor 

 fhould it be done while the fun fhines very hot, which would 

 be likely to fcorch the blonoms and leaves. 



Of Blights. 



Blights are very deftruclive to fruit-trees, fometimes def- 

 troying the whole tree ; but more frequently the leaves and 

 bloflbms, while the tree itfelf remains unhurt. 



One caufe of the blight is, the continuance of a dry 

 eafterly wind for feveral days together, which flops the per- 

 foration in the tender bloffom ; and a long continuance 

 of the fame weather equally affects the tender leaves, 

 caufmg them to wither and decay : the perfpiring matter is 

 thereby rendered thick and glutinous, and fo becomes food 

 for thofe fmall infects which are always found in vaft num- 

 bers on fruit trees that are affected by this fort of blight. 



Thefe infects, however, are not the original caufe, as fome 

 imagine, but the natural confequence of blights ; for wher- 

 ever they meet with fuch a proper nutriment they multiply 

 amazingly, and greatly promote the diftemper when no 

 method is taken to prevent it. 



The beft remedy for this diftemper that I know of is, to 

 wafh them with urine and foapfuds, as before directed ; and 

 the fooner this is performed, whenever we apprehend danger, 

 the better : if the young and tender fhoots leem to be much 

 infected, wafh them with a woollen cloth dipped in the fame 

 liquid that is recommended for the mildew. 



K k 2 Another 



