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1885. |MrEHan, THos.|] Fire blight in the pear. Gard. 
Monthly, vol. XXVII, 1885, p. 297. [4 col.] 
‘“‘A dozen different diseases are all confounded as pear blight.” ‘The 
idea that fire blight is contagious or even infectious, is surely thoroughly 
exploded ;” and the advice to promptly cut away diseased branches‘ seems 
very strange at this late date.”” These statements are. prompted by reading 
‘a recent article; ‘professors of horticulture in schools and colleges” are ad- 
monished to familiarize themselves with “horticultural publications of the 
past twenty-five years,” so as not to be ‘‘a long way behind the age.” 
1886. [MEEHAN, T.] Fire blight in the pear. Gard. Monthly, 
vol. XXVIII, 1886, p. 25. [1 col.] 
Commends an article by J. C. Arthur in ‘‘Amer. Naturalist” as ‘‘worthy 
‘of perusal by those interested in intelligent pomology.” It confirms the 
‘opinion long heid by the editor, that ‘fire blight must of fecessity be of 
fungus origin.” ‘‘It was evident that the cause... . was local, and 
therefore a by some special influence operating on particular parts of 
a tree, wholly independent of the plant itself.” Prof. Burrill’s announcement 
of bacteria as the cause ‘‘was fully in accord with our prepossessions.”’ 
1886. ARTHUR, J.C. History and biology of pear blight. 
Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., 1886, p. 322. [20 pages. | 
Review in Count. Gent., vol. LI, 1886, p. 954. [2 col.] 
The distribution of the disease is discussed, showing that it is doubtless 
‘confined to that part of North America east of the Rocky Mountains. Some 
notion of the amount of loss it occasions, and its prevalence in the early part 
of the century are given. The several prominent theories regarding its cause, 
such as sunstroke, “insect, frozen-sap, fungus, electricity and bacteria, intro- 
duce the subject of the beginning of experimental research. A successful 
inoculation was made as early as 1845 by Mr. Ragan, of Indiana, and an ex- 
cellent explanation of the cause vf the disease by Mr. Gookins given in the 
game year. Bacteria in connection with the disease were discovered by Prof. 
Burrill, anda rigid proof that they are the cause of it, established by the 
author. The appearance of the organisms, their development i in artificial 
media, behavior toward staining fluids, chemical products formed during 
growth, and their action in the. living plant are described. The paper is 
accompanied by a plate illustrating the active and zooglcea states. 
