National Republican., 1875-06-02
THE FRUIT GROWERS.
Regular Monthly Meeting Yesterday

The regular monthly meeting of the Potomac
Fruit Growers Association was held yesterday
at the Board Of Trade rooms; the president, q.
Gillingham, in the chair, and DR.. Snodgrass
secretary. The resolution submitted at the
last meeting and held over, which was to the
effect that privileges to participate in debate OF
business character be confined TO those who pay
dues, was discussed After q general interchange
Of views the resolution was adopted. The yacan-
cies in the executive committee were filled by
the appointment Of the following gentlemen:
Hiram Pitts, II. NJ. p. King and G. F, NeWham.
The question of allowing the discussion OF floral
culture in the association proceedings was taken
up and finally held over until the next meeting
A sample of Seeding straw berries was exhibited
by Mr.. J, H. Smith, of Prince Georges county,
Maryland which had not as yet been named
The berries were highly praised, and DR.. Snod-
grass moved that they be named the Hoffman
DR.. Rowland moved to lay the motion on the
table until the next meeting. and thus afford Mr.
Smith an opportunity to name them himself If he
Wilson's Seeding and the Monarch :oi the
West were next exhibited.
THE PEAR TREE.
Mr.. Gillingham, in accordance with a resolu-
tiOn adopted at the last meeting, submitted the
The thoTn, it is said, makes a very good stock
for grating the pear upon, except 1t is apt to be
broken on at the point Of union by high Winds
grown with success on strong, clayey soils which
is in reality the home Of the pear tree with the
ADDITION oil q little natural moisture
The mountain ash is also said to be a good
stock for budding the pear tree upon, as Its back
WaTdness in blosseming in the spring is likely to
save from frost. They are sometimes budded on
the apple; but the ounce stock is almost uniVer-
YersaIIy used for dwarfing the pear tree as the
ounce tree is itself dwarf, and thus causes the
pear tree to come early into bearing
The Duchesse Of Anguleme is peculiarly
adapted for dwaThng,it being 4 large heavy pear
is likely TO be blown from the large trees The
navel is generally improved by being put on the
ounce.
The tree when dwarfed on the ounce, however
is short Hved-seldom lasting over RtIeep Or
twenty years. They should be pretty much con-
lined to che amateurs garden, and kept under
high cultivation, and the trees will bear the sue
eeeding year after being transplanted.
IL TIE POTOMAC REGION,
: high airy and cool clay soil should be preferred,
with northern or eastern slope If any.
The pear succeeds so well as an open standard;
and requires so little care or pruning s.ver they
are established in the SOIL less PERHAPS than apy
other fruit tree, In orchard culture the pear
should be-Col. Leighton, near Norfolk, however,
has tive thousand Duchess d'Anguleme dwarf in
one orchard. and finds them very profitable
planted as closely together as the nature OF the
case and the natural size of the tree will admit
Of in order to protect themselves from the high
WINDS when loaded with fruit. The standards
may be planted within fifteen to twenty feet Of
each other, and the dwarls within six or eight
feet. This close planting of the pear is abso-
lutely necessary, as they should occupy q high,
airy situation. protected only from the strong
airy situation is, in the opinion OF the writer the
greatest remedy against the pear-tree blight
Downing says what is popularity called the pear
tree blight is in TACT, two distinct diseases The
first he calls the insect blight, the other the
froZen-sap blight, but would reverse the latter
name anu call 1t the heated-sap blight. 1t is not
the diseases all have seen enough Of It to sat
isfy themselves. The cause Of the insect blight
was frst discovered, says Downing, by the Hon.
John Lowell, OF Boston, in 1866 and was described
by Professor Peck under the name of
scoLYTUs PYRI.
The insect is very minute, being scarcely one
tenth Of an inch long, and 1t escapes from ths
branch almost as soon as, by the withering of the
leaves, we are aware Of its attack hence II is so
rarely seen by careless observers. In the perfect
state 1t is very small beetle. deep brown, with
legs of paler color, sc. The insect deposits its
egg some time in July or August, either behind
or below a bud; the next spring the grub does its
WORK, and emerges from the twig by q small hole
resembling pin hole, near bud. Assuming the
beetle form, and to lay its egg, &c, in a new
place, &c. The remedy to this consists, at the
first indications of the disease TO cut off the dis
eased branches foot below the lowest mark of
discoloration and burn them. There is another
enemy 10 the pear tree, slug worm, selandria
eerasi of Harris. 1t appears on the upper side of
June till the middle Of july. 1t is nearly half an
inch long when fully grown, olive cOlOred, taper
ing from the head to the tail. Whale OIL soap and
water we'll sprirkled over the leaves is the best
remedy against this insect; ashes or quick lime
sprfnkled over the leaves early in the morning is
AFRO EOOu Inc nunDeT Oh varieties oil the pear
Of latter time is almost endless. More than
seven hundred kinds, collected from all parts Of
the world, are In the experimental garden Of the
London Horticultural Society, only a small pro-
portion OF which have any claim to excelleicy
The great difficulty seems TO be to decide which
are the really valuable sorts, as variety may be
Of first rate quality here, and only second or third
rate in New York or New England, rice rersG so
much depends upon soil and climate.
The paper was discussed by Messrs Nelson,
Daniels Strotb, Pitts, Rowland and Mrs Mute
AFTER which a vote Of thanks was extended to
Mr.. GilliDghRm.
Mrs. Mute exhibited some preserved peas,
which were pronounced as being excellent.
The CHAIR called attention to many Of the mem.
bers not taking part in the discussions. He hoped
all would express their Views, In order that all
might become enlightened.
President GillIngham was selected to furnish
paper on the pears of this region.
DR.. SnOdgTass read q paper, submitted by the
scientific committee, on vinegar and its uses in
the light Of science.
A motion was made and adopted that the asso-
citation, on Tuesday next, give strawberry festi-
val and floral exhibition on the steamer Mary
Washington. Messrs Daniels, Rowland and
Snodgrass were appointed to take charge of the
arrangements. The meeting then adjourned.