The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-05-30
Correspondence.
The Plum Crop.

Lovers of our hardy fruits are earnest
" asked to look to the condition of
their plum and cherry trees. With a
soil and climate perfectly adapted to
the growth of plums and the hardy va
rieties of cherries, we are nevertheless
in way soon to be deprived of them.
Passing by many of our gardens the
plum trees especially, will begin to
bear. even at this early season, a crop
quite different from that for which they
were originally designed. Black, I'M
slightly knots are on many Of the limbs,
disfguring the trees which they will
ultimately destroy. We ought to be
aware Of the danger that threatens our
plum crop.
The cause of the trouble is micro
scopic plant which grows as a parasite
on,the tree in the summer, natures its
spores in the spring, and sending these
abroad on the air, the germs fasten
upon the branches of the plum AID
cherry trees, and reproduce the kind
of vegetation from which they came.
For long time it was thought that
the swelling on the limbs and the knots
were produced by insects, but the pres.
ence of insects is only of secondary
character. BY most careful study and
microscJpical examination the trouble
was proved to be caused by the growth
of certain fungus. Further investi-
CATION showed that the different varie-
ties of wild cherry are subject to It's
growth upon their branches, and from
these the disease is carried to our cul-
tivated plum and cherry trees.
Insects sting the knot as well as the
fruit and this fact gave rise to the
theory that they were the cause. The
three reasons why this does not explain
the difficulty are: First-the knots do
not resemble the gals made by any
known insect; second-althoug in
sects or their remains are found in old
knots, they are seldom found in the
knot while young; third-these insects
are of several different species, which
are also found on trees that are not af-
tected by the knot.
1t is also an erroneous idea that the
knot growing on the plum tree differs
from that growing on the cherry.
There are some varieties of the cherry
on which the knot never grows, but it
is thought that every kind of cultivat-
ed plum is subject to it.
The disease is infections, and like the
smallpox among human kind, nothing
but the utmost care will prevent it
spreading and producing its destruc-
tive effects.
The remedy is of the heroic kind.
No stirring about the roots of the tree.
no scraping of the bark of the limb,
will be of any service. The limb must
be cut away; cut little below the
swelling, and to keep the diseased part
from doing further mischief il must be
burned. Simply cutting OIL will not
do, for though the limbs be severed
from the tree in the fall, the spores,
though the temperature goes below
zero, will mature i'll the winter and be
ready in the spring to continue the dis
ease.
The work of cutting off should be
done whenever the trouble makes its
appearance. The fall of the leaf will
often disclose knots which had before
escaped observation, so in autumn be-
fore the germs are fully matured should
every knot be consigned to the burn
ings. If any have escaped until this
time they should have immediate at
tention.
Nelghbor, please cut and burn the
limbs of that infected tree. If the tree
is far gone, burn it, body and limb. 1t
may require certain sort of courage
to attack and destroy tree that was
planted with so much care, and one
that has borne such loads of deliciou.
fruit, but recall the fact that its useful.
ness is over, and, as it now stands 1T is
sending its germs of infection and de.
struction to all healthy trees of like
kind in all the region about. Please dc
the Deighhorly deed, and give the
limbs, or if need be, the whole tree. to
the fire. II. NJ s.
DRUNKENNESS CURED,-We call the attention
OF our readers to the advertisement of Colder
Specific Co., of Cincinnati, which appears in an
other column. This remedy. which can be adj