try h 
VOL. XXXVIII. No. 2*2. I 
WHOLE No. 1331. I 
NEW YORK, MAY 31, 1879. 
I PRICE FIVE CENTS, 
t 82.00 PER YEAR. 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by the Knral Publishing Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.! 
Agricultural 8ociety. His military title is the 
result of his interest in various militia organi¬ 
zations. 
After the death of his first wife in 1831, he 
sought retirement in Dorchester, where he has 
re-married twice, and now lives blessed in the 
most delightful domestic life, and surrounded 
by all influences that contribute to the charm 
of existence, The accident to which we have 
alluded, was occasioned by a fall in the State 
House, resulting in a fractured thigh. 
When we look at his success in the arts of 
cultivation, and then turn from these more 
humble objects and consider those other me¬ 
morials, especially the uoble institutions which 
owe their origin and success, in a great degree, 
to his influence and efforts, it caunot be doubt¬ 
ed that iu the roll of the benefactors of man¬ 
kind, oue of the most prominent names in this 
age and country, will be that of Marshall 
Pinckney Wilder. 
any special advantage, is not yet fully proven. 
Further observation is necessary to confirm 
the opinion in the mind of the studious culti¬ 
vator. Iu speaking of the Ohio State Pomo- 
logical Society, Mr. Bateham says : “ We have 
paid but little attention to theories, for in moat 
cases they are not sustained by the facts.” 
This is certainly wise, and the rule would. I 
think, exclude the clover theory, at least for 
the present. Facts that have come under my 
own observation, during many years’ expe¬ 
rience, do not go to sustain the theory. In an 
article of my own, on the “Twig Blight,” which 
chanced to appear in the Rural, simultaneous¬ 
ly with the article ou pear blight, which I am 
now considering, I took the liberty to caution 
your readers agaiust a “ confusion of terms, 
and the confounding of diseases which are 
quite dissimilar in character, although they 
may be productive of similar results." I think 
your correspondent has fallen into the very 
error thus referred to, when he says the frozen 
sap blight “ouly differs from what is termed 
the fire blight, in its predisposing cause.” My 
own observation satisfies me that they are es¬ 
sentially different in character as well as in 
cause. The sap blight is distinguished by its 
appearing earlier in the season, usually not 
later than June, and by the viscous, clammy 
sap, which exudes from the wounds made by 
the knife, emitting that smell of fermentation 
of which Mr. B. speaks: also, by the appear¬ 
ance in the spring, of dark, shriveled and dead 
blotches of bark on the trunk or branches, 
which may not be noticed until the leaves be¬ 
gin to show signs of the disease, but by careful 
examination they may be discovered some 
time sooner. This blight is not confined ex¬ 
clusively to the pear, it being quite likely to 
appear on apple trees of rapid growth, like the 
Baldwin and Greening, for instance, while 
slow growers, like the Northern Spy. are very 
rarely injured by it. It appears more frequent¬ 
ly on the pear than on the apple, the pear 
being of a more tendor and delicate growth. 
There is but little difference of opinion as to 
the cause. If the tree makes a late growth in 
the fall, so that the new wood does not become 
properly matured before an ensuing severe 
winter, there is always danger of the sap blight 
as a consequence. But it is not always the 
mere freezing of the wood and sap that causes 
the injury. The sudden thawing of the bark, 
by the direct rays of a bright sun. aided perhaps 
by a strong reflection of light from a crusted 
surface of snow while the main body of the 
wood and bark is still frozen, adds materially 
to the injury. As evidence of this, it will be 
found that this kind of blight, quite generally, 
appears on the southerly side of the trunk or 
branch affected. In some cases, when young 
trees are affected, the bark will he found to be 
ruptured, and partially loosened from the 
wood on each side of the rupture. But the 
more serious injury is produced when the bark 
is killed without beiug ruptured. Iu such 
cases, as spring opens, the tree or branch puts 
forth its leaves as usual, yet as the season ad¬ 
vances, the leaves, while showing but little 
discoloratiou, begin to droop and wither; and 
on examination a black spot on the bark will 
be readily discovered, and if sufficiently ex¬ 
tensive. that portion which is above the affected 
part speedily dies ; the vigorotis putting forth 
of the leaves previously noticed having been 
but a futile effort of nature to utilize the 6ap 
remaining in the trunk or branches, to repair 
the damage. . 
For this form of blight there seems to be no 
remedy. The best preventive I have ever 
known is to shade the southerly side of the 
tree, so that the direct rays of the sun shall not 
reach it. The trunk of the young tree is most 
likely to he affected. A piece of board, of 
suitable length, placed against the southerly 
aide, and fastened there, will be «ufficient. 
Some cultivators have been at the paina to 
wind the truuk with twisted ropes of hay or 
straw, with satisfactory results. Covering 
ture and horticulture, that his name is indisso¬ 
lubly connected with their advancement. 
But it was in Pomology that he was most, 
successful aud most widely known. The Pear 
in his orchard of 2,500 trees and 800 varieties, 
became as noted as the Camellia in his con¬ 
servatory. 
In 1848, as President of the Mass. Hort. Soc., 
he headed a circular calling a convention of 
fruit-growers throughout the country. This 
resulted in the organization of The American 
Pomological Society. The writer can hut 
regret that space limit forbids any but the 
baldest mention of many of the societies Col. 
Wilder was mainly instrumental iu projecting, 
aud the history of whose formation so clearly 
portrays the energy and resources of the mau. 
To him Amherst College is iudebted for its ex¬ 
istence, aud the State Board of Agriculture 
(Mass.), is the lineal descendant of the old Nor¬ 
folk Agl. Soc., which was created by Col. 
Wilder. He is at present tile President of the 
American Pomological Society, senior Mem¬ 
ber of the State Bourd ol Agriculture, senior 
Trustee of the Massachusetts Agricultural Col¬ 
lege, Honorary President of the Norfolk Agri¬ 
cultural Society, a member of the Executive 
Committee of the Massachusetts Horticultural 
Society, President of the New Euglaud Historic- 
Genealogical Society, a member of the Govern¬ 
ment of the Institute of Technology, a Director 
of the New England Life Insurance Company, 
aud of the National Insurance, aud of the 
Hamilton National Bank ; positions which he 
has held for thirty-five years, uud senior part¬ 
ner of the firm of Parker, Wilder & Co. 
The life of Col. Wilder is a strikiug instance 
of what may be accomplished by industry, and 
the concentration of one’s intellectual powers 
upon one graud object, that of raising the 
6taudard of terraeulture to a higher rank 
among the great pursuits of a nation. He has 
excelled in all he undertook, because he knew 
the measure of his own abilities. His plans 
MARSHALL PINCKNEY WILDER, 
Col, Wilder’s recent accident has awaken¬ 
ed widespread sympathy aud solicitude, and 
while it gives us great pleasure to state that 
the latest bulletins report that he is recovering 
—being able to move about with the aid of 
crutches—we feel that there are mauy amoug 
our readers who would appreciate a brief re¬ 
sume of the life and work of the honored Pres¬ 
ident of the American Pomological Society. 
Hence, we this week present his portrait in 
continuation of our series. 
Marshall Piuckuey Wilder was boru Sept. 
22. 1798, at Kludge, N. H. He is the eldest son 
of Samuel Locke Wilder, Esq. The family has 
been conspicuous since revolutionary times, 
Col. Wilder's grandfather, among other hon¬ 
ors, having been oue of seven delegates from 
Worcester County iu the Convention of Massa¬ 
chusetts, who voted iu favor of adopting the 
Constitution of the United States. The old 
Worcester Magazine said: “ Of all the old Lan¬ 
caster families, there is no one that has sus¬ 
tained so many important offices us that of 
Wilder.” 
Young Marshall went to school at the age of 
four years, aud at twelve entered New Ipswich 
Academy. He was there oue year, aud, re¬ 
turning home, was put under the tuition of 
Rev. Joseph Brown; it being his father’s idea 
to give him a collegiate education. Mr. Wild¬ 
er preferred an active life, and when he was 
sixteen his father gave him the choice of either 
qualifying himself for the life of a farmer or 
merchant, or to fit himself for college. He 
chose the first, and among the lukCB and for¬ 
ests of his native place laid the foundation of 
that enduring health to which he has in no 
small degree been indebted for the mental and 
physical energy that are among his chief char¬ 
acteristics. 
At the age of twenty-one his father took 
him into partnership, which continued until 
1825, when, in search of a wider field, he mov¬ 
ed to Boston. The firm of Wilder & Pay son 
was at once formed, and under various modifl- 
tions of firm names, Mr. Wilder has continued 
a merchant Of Boston to the present time, hon¬ 
ored aud successful. 
But trade and the acquisition of wealth were 
uot the all-engrossing pursuits of his mind. 
After devoting a suitable time to business, be 
gave his leisure to horticulture and agricul¬ 
ture, for which he had a peculiar taste. He 
spared uo expense ; lie rested from do efforts 
to instil into the public rniud a love of employ¬ 
ments so honorable aud useful. He cultivated 
bis own grounds, imported seeds, plants aud 
trees, and, by bis example, endeavored to en¬ 
courage the labor aud elevate the rank of the 
husbandman. In his pursuits, Col. Wilder 
seems to have realized and practised one of 
the principles which have such au influence 
on one’s life—the philosophy of habit. He is 
an early riser and devotes the morning to 
reading, writing, or rural affairs. In the mid¬ 
dle of the day he attends to his mercantile 
business in the city, and the evening is spent 
with his family aud books. His leisure—if so 
busy a mau may be said to have any—he has 
devoted to his peu, which has already filled 
several large volumes with descriptions aud 
delineations of fruits and flowers proved un¬ 
der his own inspection. Floriculture was oue 
of Mr. Wilder’s favorite pursuits. IIis camellia- 
house is supposed to have contained the best 
collection in the country. Two seedlings, 
“Camellia Wilderi,” aud “Mrs. Abby Wilder” 
were named iu Iub honor by the Mass. Horti¬ 
cultural Society. Soon after the organization 
of this Society, ho became identified with it, 
and for eight successive years he presided over 
it. In fact, Col. Wilder has been so promi¬ 
nently associated with all progress iu agricul- 
THE PEAR BLIGHT 
CLINTON, 
The article on the pear blight, by Mr. B. 
Bateham, which appeared in the Rural of 
Mar L 23, arrested my attention, more especial¬ 
ly as the writer professed to speak of the cause 
of the malady, and the means of its prevention. 
As I had given the subject much study for 
many years, I hoped to gain more uew light in 
relation to it, and thus be enabled to reach 
satisfactory conclusions in regard to a matter 
which has hitherto seemed to be involved in 
considerable mystery. When I say frankly 
that I have failed to do so, it may be equivalent 
to an admission of my own obtuseness of intel¬ 
lect ; but I can’t help that. 
That the soil has much to do with the health 
and vigor of the pear tree is undoubtedly as 
true as it is of most other trees and plants. It 
has long been understood that a deep clay soil, 
or a calcareous loam is suitable for the pear 
tree, aud also that the soil should be reason¬ 
ably dry and entirely free from stagnant water. 
But that a clover sod is essential, or even of 
were matured by deep thought and executed 
with a zeal resulting from a clear, practical 
head. From the staud-point of the Massachu¬ 
setts Horticultural Society, he originated the 
American Pomological Society ; then the Nor¬ 
folk Agricultural Society ; then the State Board 
of Agriculture, and the Massachusetts Agri¬ 
cultural College, and finally the United States 
