The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-16
Pear Blight.

Pear blight is the inveterate foe Of the
Southern pear grower. If this could be
successfully combatted the South would
produce pears which would excel in quail.
icy and quantity the pear products of ev-
cry other section of the country, says the
Farmers Journal. The uncertainty at
tending their production, and the constant
loss of the trees just when they have be-
gun to bear, causes hesuancy to plant
and oftentimes carelessness in the care of
pear orchards even when planted. The in
vestigations made by the department OF
agriculture have conclusively established
the fact that the blight is a spore disease,
which first attacks the tips of the new
wood and from thence spreads down the
branch into the tree, and kills every part
that it attacks. So far no remedy has
been discovered for the disease. The only
specific is the vigorous use of the knlte
in cutting away at once every tWig or
branch affected and the burning of the
same. Discussing this question few
DAVIS ago with Mr.. ]. B. Watkins of Ches-
terdeld. a nurseryman Of long experience,
he said that he had had considerable sue
cess in avoiding the disease by a system
Of cultivating his large pear orchard, ana
that he believed this to be the only prac-
ucable means of making pear growing
successful in the South Experience had
convinced him that the trees first attack
ed were those growing most vigorously
and that they we're always first attacked
when the new wood was in its tenderest
and most rapid growth This set him to
de1isiug some means to check this rapid
growth. Instead of encouraging grow n
i'm the spring, by frequent cultivation ana
fertiizing of the orchard with nitrogenous
fertilizers. he decided to pursue the policy
of not cultivating the ground between the
pears at all until after growth has ceased
in the late summer, and not to use peas OF
clover as a renovating crop IN the sum
mer and fall until it was seen that the
growth absolutely called for nitrogenous
matter. He hoped in this way to secure
a short. stout. hardy growth of new wood
each year, sufficiently vigorous to repel
the attack of blight. For several years ne
has followed up this idea, and the result
has been most satisfactory. The varieties
like the Keiffer, which are most blight
resistant, have practically ceased to pllsht
az all whilst the more susceptible Varle-
ties ike the Bartlett, have almost escaped
attack and have fruited well. He never
puts either plow or cultvator into his pear
orchard until late in the summer when the
new wood has been made and is ripening.
Unless The early fall is wet one no new
growth is then made. This is a remedy
for blight within the reach of every one,
and we commend its attention. Where the
land is in need of fertilization we would
advise the use of muriate of potash and
acid phosphate applied in the fall after
blowing, and worked in with the harrow
or cultivator. Use, say, 300 pounds of acid
nhosDhate and 50 pounds of muriate oil
| notash to the acre. Possibly every -four
or five years il may be necessary to seed
cow-peas or German clover to supply nj
trogen. in which case the crop should be
| allowed to die down on the land and thus
| act as mulch.