The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-08-11
EMAemurat-Sta
MORE on PEAR BLIGHT.

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The Florida Agriculturist tells us
there is at DeFuniak Springs an or
ganization known as the West Flori-
da Highland Fruit Growers Associa-
tion," and the editor is sorry that
there are not more similar organiza-
tions all over the lower South. Among
other things the association referred
to has annual exhibits of fruit at
which premiums are offered for the
best displays, etc. Aside from this,
meetings are held at stated intervals
at which subjects of interest to the
fruit growers are discussed. At one
of these recent meetings, for instance
the subject Of pear blight was dis
cusSed at some length, and a great
deal Of light thrown on a matter Of
very much Importance to the people
of that section Of the State.
In discussing the subject Mr.. G. W.
Mellish admitted that he could not
throw al much light upon the subject
as he could wish. He said that there
is no pear-growing section Of the
country exempt from the ravages Of
the blight and that nc variety Of pear
was proof against its attack. Blight
ed trees and trees free from blight
can be found standing side by side on
all kinds of soil with various methods
of cultivation and fertilization. He
recommended that the blighted limbs
and twlgs be cut out of the tree soon
as they appear. The more thorough
ly this is done the better will be the
results. In cutting be sure to go six
inches or a foot below any sign of dis
eased bark, and keep the saw free
from contact with the diseased wood.
and burn every twig cut of. Supple
ment this with thorough cultivation,
keeping the trees supplied with a
complete fertilizer to induce a healthy
vigorous growth, and such vigorous
growing varieties as the LeConte and
Kei1ers will come out all right.
Mr.. HOllowell said that the cause
OF the blight had never been satIsfac-
t0rily solved, but his experience led
him to believe that 1t could be guard
ed against to a very great extent. He
said that the trees could be injured
by kindness, and that the practice of
feeding the trees all and in some cases
more highly condensed heterogeneous
fertilizer than they could consume
was conducive to the disease as was
shown by the fact that the trees thus
treated were more subject to the
blight than those not SO highly fed.
His trees that had an application of
stable manure late in the fall were
the ones that showed blight. A
heavy fall growth, he thought, had a
tendency to produce blight the fol.
lowing year, He advised constant
cultivation with a very light fertili'
zation up to the first of July on thu
most Of our sandy soils.
MI. L. W. Frark, OF the DeFunial
experimental station, thought that i
the blight was not caused by it, il
was greatly increased by stable ma
nure, cotton seed meal, blood ant
bone and other heterogeneous manures
The fact that blight always starts II
the spring would indicate that lat
frosts have something to do with it
After the first of June the blight il
cut out and is not likely to appea,
again that season. He believes TIN
best preventive was the use OF potash
and phosphate fertilizer exclusively
and clean but not deep cultivation il
the early part Of the season, say unit
the first of July, then let the orchard
alone until next spring. As cure h,
recommended the cutting out OF dis
e1sed limbs and twigs as fast as the.