264 Wisconsin state agricultural society. 
to be made and obstacles to be overcome. The codling moth has 
very plainly said to us, “ in seasons of abundance, there may be 
apples both for you and us, but in seasons of scarcity, we shall 
need them all.” Shall we fold our hands and allow this declara¬ 
tion to be fulfilled, or have we sufficient ingenuity and persever¬ 
ance to beat these little worms ? 
Blight in various forms has given us here and there a touch ; 
not to do serious harm, but just to show us what it could do when 
circumstances favored. This is the great barrier between us and 
a full supply of pears. Shall we do without the pears, or put 
forth new and stronger efforts to grow them? I am not willing 
to give them up, and will here repeat my suggestions of a year 
ago, that we, as a society, take up with greater force and earnest¬ 
ness the culture of pears, plums and cherries, and not, as hereto¬ 
fore, pass them by as things almost or quite beyond our reach. 
As to their treatment, I have little to recommend with certainty, 
but for the pears would suggest that they be planted on the high¬ 
est good soil at command, and exposed to all the winds that blow. 
That only standard trees be planted, and those of one and two 
years’ growth, and headed very low. That the soil be deeply 
worked and thoroughly drained, but not highly manured. That 
a medium, well matured growth, and low, broad head should be 
the rule. That protection should be given by mulching and by 
shading the trunk and larger branches on the south and west, 
during the heat of summer and the alternate heat and cold of 
February and March. That as special fertilizers, we experiment 
carefully with ashes, salt and the refuse of iron forges. Why I 
make this suggestion is because every long-lived and really suc¬ 
cessful pear tree ^hich I can remember, from my youth up, has 
been aided by a majority of these favoring circumstances, while 
thousands under any and almost every other treatment have failed; 
some after yielding a few crops, but most without bearing a single 
specimen. 
Observation for the past three years has driven me, much against 
my will, to the conclusion that both pears and apples are mnch 
safer from blight when fully exposed to the winds than when 
sheltered by trees or buildings. Whether we sheuld seek protec¬ 
tion for its benefits in winter, or avoid it on account of this dan- 
