The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-08-23
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD,
The PIun.Knof.

From time to time things occur to make one
believe that there is very little progress in
practical knowledge, iu spite of the progressive
literature SO freely scattered over the land. Old
notions, long exploded, continually come up
and seem to have as ready an assent from
certain classes as if they were the profoundest
wisdom. But now and then circumstances
arise which give us more encouragement and
show that our labors in the cause of enlighten-
ment are not wholly thrown away.
The black-knot in the plum and cherry is an
illustration. At first most fancied this was
caused by an insect. But as soon as the phe.
nomena were studied it became clear that it
could not be. The knots come out of old, thick
bark, 20 hard and thick that it is impossible an
insect like curculio could make the puncture
to deposit an egg. There are many similar OBJ
jections to an insect theory; the whole making
II one of the most impossible things possible"
and yet because the young curCulio and the
young of other insects are found in the oozy
matter composing the knots, there are people
even unto this day that write and argue on the
insect theory. The misfortune of this theory is
that It it were true there would be little hope
of a remedy. The curculio has successfully
fought us in plum culture and frightens us to
great extent in cherry culture, and if it were
another of his attributes to make cherry-knots,
we might give up in despair.
The exact and positive proof that the plum
knot is not the work of an insect, but is the
work of minute fungus, has now been made
uauHcSt Wy Iio+. W. VI IdTiOW OF boston
who, in the proceedings of the Bussey Institute
has described and figured the whole process of
termination of the fungus and its ipflneuces
on the wood of the tree from the beginning to
the end. The little fungus grows from seed-like
spores. These spores egrminate in early spring.
They attach themselves to the bark from the
outside and penetrate to the new wood that is
being formed, and in this delicate substance
easily play destruction. The fungus runs riot
through the substance, passing through its
various stages all the summer season; not un-
til near Winter does it ripen set of spores for
next Winters work.
Now, in spite of the clearhess with which all
this has been proved and explained by Prof
writers who will tell us about the insect origin
Of the knot for some years to come; but the
man of average intelligence and others upward
will accept it, and 60 to work accordingly. If
the spores germIpate from the bark outwardly,
aud work throlgh inwardly, a wash of some
sort IN early Spring will be a thorough preven-
tive. There are numerous articles-such, for
instance, as preparations of carbolic acid, Ives
sulphur washes, even whitewash-all fatal to
these delicate organisms and yet quite innocu-
Gus in regard to stronger vegetation; and there
Is no doubt that, applied to the stems of the
plum and cherry in early Spring, any of them
would be complete preservative against these
terrible foes.
In regard to the origin of this fungus, DR..
FurIow tells us that it is an American, and
that the plant it loves to attack in its wild state
is the Virginian or choke-cherry, small-grow-
ing kind and near relative of our common
black wild cherry. The Morello cherry is in
structure and habits something like this, and
hence is great favorte with the little parasite.
-Ger7nantown Telegroph.