The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-14
ABOUT APPLES.

RulIeiin Of West Virginia Agricultur-
al Experiment statiop-AII the DE-
eases That the FruirfS Heir to.
The West virginia agricultural ex-
ysHmental station. at Mdtgantown. has
issued the following bulletin. which is
o, interest to farmers and others who
grow apples:
> This is the season when the tilIers OF
the soil begin to feel that the element
Of chance has largely disappeared, and
that whatever Ia now shown In the field
or orchard is sure harvest. True as
this is OF most crops, the apple is not
ye; out Of danger. So long as the fruits
remain upon the trees there is chance
OF their being destroyed by storm, eaten
by insects Or rayaged by disease. The
danger from the Goblin moth is past,
the tent caterpillar and canker worm
VIII not again appear this season, apple
ssab has already caused the major part
%, the injury to be dreaded from It, but
the rots. what Of them3 The rotting
o. fruits when ripe is a natural conse-
qugnce of full maturity, but the rot
ting Of one-half grown fruits is quite
another thing. When one sees IS per
cent of all the fruits upon tree in
more or less advanced state OF decay,
aud at a period long before harvest time
little argument Is necessary to convince
one that some disease 10 at work among
20 id Valn =
fruits suffer from disease In q manner
quite like unto man himself. The life
Of the plant, or the value Of Its fruit or
grain Is quickly destroyed. These dis
cases. at least some OF them, are spread
from plant to plant by the wind, like
disease germs in man; others are trans
mitted by innoculation through insects
rs carriers. The sporadic appearance
NJ these diseases is not q matter of
chance; atmospheric conditions favora-
bic to their growth, together with a
supply .Of reproductive material. Is all
that is necessary for destructive on
slaught Of any one Of many Of these
plant pests. SEQ
The bitter rot Of the apple, which Is
more or less common in many southern
states. belongs to the category Of plant
diseases above described It attacks
bloom to maturity, causing the fruits
to assume freckled appearance Some
OF these blotches grow more rapidly
than others, with the result that a large
blackened spot is caused, the centre OF
which will be slightly shrunken and
later show slight eruptions and fire.
quently an eXudation of a 6ticky charRc-
ter, sometimes OF an orange tint. II
the apple be cut through the core and
across one OF these rotten spots the
flesh. 1t will be noted, Has. been black
ened and rotted in q cone-llke manner,
the base Of the cone being the same
area as the rotten spot at the surface
of the skin. The eruptions upon the de-
clyed portion OF the skin are merely
openings through which the reproduce
await the action OF the wind, water or
an Insect to carry them to n healthy
fruit to begin anew their work Of de-
struction. As soon as IN infested fruit
reaches a certain stage OF decay these
reproductive bodies are imatured and
ready to begin work againS so the more
rotten fruits there are the more repro
ductiVe bodies. the supply constantly
increasing in geometrlcat ratio
Strange as It may seAm, these del
icate plants, for plants they are, are
capdble OF producing reproductive bod
les which remain In, the rotten fruits
over winter, and when spring comes,
with Its heat and moisture, they begin
the work OF seed prOdiction for the de-
struction of the growing apple crop. The
disease Is partial to certain varieties
Of thin-skInned sweet apples. One OF
its-favorltes Is the Bentiy Sweet, or
Russian Romantic. 1t Is not confined
10 this sort, however. but seems to pre-
fer 1t TO others. "a
This disease, while known for several
years in Kentucky, southern West Vir-
ginla and Virginia, has never before
appeared to destructive extent so tar
north as this season. In some orchards
hundreds Of barrels Of fruit will have
been destroyed by this disease before
the harvest time, II remedial steps are
not resorted to, and vigorously and eX-
ploItly carried out. Worst OF all. the
trouble is not for day, for when once
started 1t is apt to recur from year to
year, with varying severity. according
as,the conditions are favorable or other
wise to Its development. ~
orchardIsts residing within the limits
OF the range OF this disease should keep
n sharp watch upon their apple crop,
and II rot. which corresponds to the
above description, appears lose no time
in sending specimens to the horticulture
list of the experiment station at Nor
gantown, for definite information In re-
gard to the nature Of the trouble they
have to contend with and Remedies for
same. II the. known remedies are APP
piled In time II may avert the loss OF
hundreds or even thousands OF dollars
Do not neglect this, sqpppsing your
fruits to be healthy, as the disease gives
no warning of It's coming and only man
TESTS itself in the ruin which 1t works.
1t Is not new trouble, but It may be
new to your section.
The standard treatments Of this trou-
bic are two.
u Bordenu Mlxture-DIssolve
pounds OF copper sulphate in wooden
or earthen vessel In another tub or
lime; add enough water to reduce 1t
10 the consistency Of a thick white
wash Pour this slowly into the vessel
containing the copper sulphate solu-
ton, using coarse gunhy sack stretch
ed across the top OF the vessel for
strainer. Dilute to IS gallons before
applying to plants Of any kind.
(2D Ammonlacal Copper Carbonate
The stock solution is made by adding
ounces Of carbonate OF copper to plnts
OF ammonia (the commercial so-called
20 per cent. will dol: this may be kept
any length OF time In n bnttle with n
glass stopper. For use dilute with IS
gallons Of water. El7a.
One or the other OF these treatments
should BIZ applied with force pump
and fine spray nozzle one n week II the
disease is present and spreading. II
the disease Is not present spray with
one OF the above mixtures every two
weeks as a preventive measure. These
cautions are Important and mean many
dollars to the fruIt-growers Of West
Virginia.