The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-09-20

CATION by The Station staff.
The West Virginia agricultural ex
pertinent station, has issued the fol
lowing bulletin, which is of interest
to farmers and Others who grow ap-
pies:
This is the season when the tiller,
OF the soil begin to feel that the ele
ment of chance has largely disappear
ed, and that whatever is now showr
in the field or orchard is sure har-
vest. True as this is of most crops,
the apple is not yet out Of danger
So long as the fruits remain upon ths
trees there is "A chance of their being
destroyed by storm, eaten by insects
or ravaged by disease. The danger
from the Goblin moth is past, the tent
caterpillar and canker worm will not
again appear this season, apple seal
has already caused the major part OF
the injury to be dreaded from it, but
the rots, what Of them? The rotting
of fruits when ripe is natural conse-
quence 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 d
more or less advanced state of decay,
and at a period long before harvest
time lutte argument is necessary to
convince one that some disease is at
work among those fruits. 1t is true
that plants and fruits suffer from dis
ease ia manner quite like unto man
himself. The life of the plant, or the
value of its fruit or grain is quickly
destroyed. These diseases, at least
some of them, are spread from plant
to plant by the wind, like disease
germs in man; Others are transmitted
by innoculation through insects as
carriers. The sporadic appearance of
these diseases is not matter of
chance; atmospheric conditions favor
able to their growth, together with a
supply of reproductive material, is all
that is necessary for destructive on
slaughts of anyone of many of these
plant pests.
The bitter rot of the apple, which
is more or less common 10 many
southern states, belongs to the cate
CORY of plant diseases above described
II attacks the growing apple at any
stage from bloom To maturity, causs
ing the fruits to assume a freckled aps
pearance. Some Of these blotches
grow more rapidly than others, with
the result that large blackened spot
is caused, the centre of which will be
slightly shrunken and later show
slight eruptions and frequently an ex-
udation Of sticky character, some
times of an orange tint. If the apple
be cut through the core and across
one of these rotten spots the flesh, it
will be noted, has been blackened and
rotted in cone-like manner, the base
of the cone being the same area as the
rotten spot at the surface of the skin.
The eruptions upon the decayed por-
tion of the skin are merely openings
through which the reproductive
bodies of this fungus issue and await
the action of the wind, water or an
insect to carry them to healthy fruit
to begin anew their work of destruc-
reaches certain stage of decay these
reproductive bodies are matured and
ready to begin work again, so the
more rotten fruits there are the more
reproductive bodies, the supply con-
stantly increasing in Il geometrical
ratio.
Strange as it may seem, these deli
cate plants, for plants they are, are
capable OF producing reproductive bod
les which remain in the rotten fruits
over winter, and when spring comes,
with its heat and moisture, they be.
gin the work of seed production for
the destruction of the growing apple
crop The disease is partial to certain
varieties of thin-skinned sweet apples.
One of it's favorites is the Bently
Sweet, or Russian Romantic. 1t is
not confined to this sort, however, but
seems to prefer it to others.
This disease, while known for sew
eral years in Kentucky, southern
West Virginia and Virginia. has new
er before appeared TO a destructive ex-
tent so far north as this season. In
some orchards hundreds of barrels of
fruit will have been DESTROYED by this
disease before the harvest time, if
remedial steps are not resorted to, and
vigorously and explicitly carried out
Worst of all the trouble is not for
day, for when once started it is apt to
recur from year to year, with varying
severity, according as the conditions
are favorable or otherwise to its deyel-
opment.
Orchardists residing within the
limits of the range of this disease
should keep a sharp watch upon their
apple crop, and if rot, which CORE
spends to the above description. an
pears lose no time in sending speci-
mems to the horticulturist of the ex-
pertinent station at Morgantown. for
definite information in regard to the
nature of the trouble they have To
contend with and remedies for sa me.
If the known remedies are applied IN
time il may avert the loss of hundreds
or even thousands of dollars.
Do not neglect this, surprising your
fruits to be healthy. as the disease
gives no warning of it's coming and
only manifests itself in the ruin which
it works. 1t is not a new trouble.
but it may be new to YOUR section.
The standard treatments of this
trouble are two.
ny Bordeau Mixture-D Dissolve 4
pounds of conner sulpbate in a wood
en- or earthen vessel. In another tub
or earthen vessel Stake 4 pounds Of