122 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
November 20. 
found, by Mr. Plukenet, on a stone wall in Mr. Owens I 
garden, at Maidstone, in Kent, but we think tbis must I 
have been introduced there. ; 
Another sub-variety has been found with its leafits | 
deeply lobed and cut. I 
It scarcely can be doubted that the old botanists and ■ 
herbalists confounded this species with A. trichomanes, \ 
and we should not have been aware that they had j 
noticed it at all, if Gerard, Bauhin, Ray, and others, i 
had not mentioned the branehed-fronded sub-variety, | 
which Gerard called Trichomanes fcemina, whilst Ray j 
and others described it as T. ramosum. The first j 
botanist recognising it as a distinct species was Cordus, 
who, in 1001, published it in his “ Historia Stirpium,” 
under the title of Adiantnm album, though he gives the 
same woodcut of it as he does for Trichomanes. The 
first to name it Asplenium viriile, we believe, was 
Hudson, in his “ Flora Anglica,” published during 1702. 
It is usually removed with much difficulty from its 
native places, but we have succeeded in cultivating it 
by adopting the same precautions as wo have directed j 
for A. trichomanes. It requires, even more than does 
that species, attention to avoid stagnant air and stagnant 
water. 
THE BLIGHTS AND OTHER DISEASES OF 
FRUIT-TREES. 
The terra blight has been so loosely employed, that 1 
am not certain that I ought to have selected such a 
term to express the various mishaps which occur amongst 
our fruit-trees in Britain, whether within doors or out- 
of-doors ; and yet, I know of no other title in the pre¬ 
sent state of gardening language that will so readily in¬ 
clude my notes. However unscientific the term blight 
may be, it will prove as familiar as household words to 
nine-tenths of our readers. It may very fairly be asked, 
however, by persons who look beyond the surface of 
things, “Wiiat do you intend to comprise under the 
term blight?” I answer, at once, that I mean all those 
insects which attack our fruit-trees in general, and with 
which most of our readers have had too close an ac¬ 
quaintanceship ; and, in addition, those obscure fungi 
of which we know little, except by their disastrous 
effects. 
I do not propose to offer a cure for any of these 
evils, but would rather, in my present observations, 
point to preventive measui’es; and this, I conceive, is 
the period to do so, inasmuch as I feel assured much of 
the evil springs from the root itself. 
In order to make myself understood, I will just glance 
at our fruit-trees in succession, and examine into the 
ravages of their enemies. 
The Apple. —Here we have, foremost, the notorious 
American blight, which everybody knows. Now, this in¬ 
sect is said to retire into the ground during the winter, 
and to prey on the roots during that dormant period, 
and there seems no reason to doubt it. I have never 
attacked it under those conditions, but I do think tliat 
its position is anything but secure, if we were to betake 
ourselves earnestly to its extirpation. I was sorely 
troubled with this pest two or three years since; and 
last autumn I had become almost heartless at t^ie serious 
appearance of many of our Apple-trees. I had re¬ 
peatedly applied spirits of turpentine to the larger 
patches, and had, in a great measure, conquered them 
in the nooks and crannies; but they had, in many cases, 
completely invested the upper twigs, or young wood; and 
I dare not pursue them all over the tree, knowing, by 
experience, that much turpentine is highly prejudicial 
to the tree. The last hard.winter, however, came to ray 
rescue, and, as it would appear, totally destroyed them 
from tlie inferior branches, and nearly extirpated them 
from the main branches and stem. 
But one thing may be here named as, perhaps, deserv¬ 
ing as much credit in the affair as the severe winter. 
As soon as the leaves were falling—about the first week 
in November—I had the trees syringed heavily twice 
over, on two successive days,'with a mixture of soft- 
soap, water, and stable-liquid, using four ounces to the 
gallon of soap, the stable-liquid constituting nearly one- 
half. This was made to saturate every cranny of the 
trees, and so profuse was the application, that the soil 
was completely caked with the falling liquid. I am of 
opinion, that the blight was then near the surface of the 
soil, and, if so, doubtless, numbers would be destroyed. 
I have now nearly cleared the whole garden of this pest, 
having applied spirits of turpentine the moment a patch 
ajjpeared, through the summer. I shall, however, repeat 
the dose again in a few days, and hope to report an en¬ 
tire clearance. Our trees, formerly the admiration of 
all, presented such a bare appearance last September, 
that I almost despaired of ever getting a good crop 
again ; but I have gathered at least fifty bushels from 
the mere espaliers of the kitchen-garden, and finer 
samples were never seen. 
Whilst chatting about the Apple, let me point to a 
kind of Aphis which generally comes forth about the 
time the blossom-buds are on the eve of unfolding. This 
pest is sometimes so numerous as fairly to wedge up 
the buds, and prevent their due expansion. I cannot 
advise any plan, at present, where fruit-trees are exten¬ 
sively grown. We all know that tobacco-wateris destruc¬ 
tive of all, or nearly all, the Aphides, but then, it is so 
expensive. Those, however, who have but a few pet 
trees, should apply it directly they perceive the fly com¬ 
mencing. I have sometimes thought that smothering 
them with dust or soot might check their ravages ; and 
our amateur friends might try some little inexpensive 
experiments of the kind. 
Another sad pest of the Apple-tree is a rusty-looking 
fungus, which generally occurs towards the end of 
August. This, when it once commences, seldom ceases 
whilst a green leaf is left on the tree, which ultimately 
appears as though it had been scorched. I arn not 
aware that any remedial measure is known. It is rather 
a matter, which, beyond doubt, may be in the main pre¬ 
vented, and to which course I will shoi tly refer. 
Another serious pest of the Apple is the lied Spider, 
especially on hot or gravelly soils. And here it may be 
observed, that since sulphur is known to be destructive 
of the fungi in general, also to the Red Spider, and as 
these two enemies generally commence operations about 
the same time, and not unfrequently act in concert, it is 
well to remember that much may be done by the timely 
application of sulphur. 
Here I would remark on the vast influence exercised 
by certain soils as a predisposing cause to insects, &c. 
I am well assured that all soils which have a tendency 
to become very dry, or very wet, for a long while,predis¬ 
pose the Apple to the attacks of insects. How this 
happens, I am not prepared to aver; but suppose that 
under such circumstances a torpid or sluggish root- 
i action occurs, and, of course, the system of the tree 
I possesses sap of a less watery character. Thus, a 
newly-planted tree, of a good size, is almost sure to bo 
i liable to the attacks of insects, or fungi, the first suinmei ; 
and so with over-severe root-pruning. This all points 
’ to the propriety of examining well the state of the soil 
before planting a tree, or an orchard, and taking means 
I to correct the extreme tendencies to dryness, or sourness, 
through a too retentive character. 
I 
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