The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-12

ms people are heir TO physical ailments.
In this country the pear tree is troubled
especially with scale known as walnut
scab, not nearly so dangerous or prolific
as the California variety known as san
Jose scab, the pear leaf blight and the
fire blight affecting the limbs, foliage and
body OF the tree-the blight 10 which gem
eral attention IS now being given. Wal
nut scab may be controlled by applCa-
lions of crude petroleum; however, ils
most effective enemy Is the lady bird, or
bug, which feed upon 1t and destroys II
In great quantities. Leaf blight is easily
and effectively controlled by spray OF
bordeaux mixture, well known to all or
chardists, and II properly applied about
twenty days after the three flowers
and repeated once twenty one days after
this the trees will retain their foliage
| in all It's luxury until killed by frost thus
preventing the denuded appearance that
most orchards present ut this season and
thus enabling the tree 10 develop It's fruit
spurs for the ensuing year. which It can
not do when defoliated by the leaf blight.
Now, as TO are blight, my experience
| with IL only goes as far as It's progress In
| my orchard, which has been TO no great
extent, as / adopted the treatment laid
down by Prof NJ. n Waite OF the agrl-
cultural department in Washington, d. e.
II made It's appearance several years ago
|
names such az Sour sap, winter XII.
etc. but as a matter OF fact It was ne
more or less thAn the genuine old hra
blight which history teaches is both CO.
| extensive and cotemporaneous with all
pomaceous fruit Some thought the eN-
trcme cold Of the winter OF 1898 was a
producing cause, but Prof b. Y. Galloway
chief OF the division Of vegetable physi.
ology at Washington, swrote to Colonel
! w ". Fontalne, who had submitted 3
parcel OF twigs supposed to have been az
fected by that cold as follows
I'VE find that the twiRs submitted "a
this department are affected with peas
blight and not by frost" Aud he fur,
Their recommends the adoption OF Prof
Waite's treatment for pear blight
Pref. Waite says: pear blight may be
defined as a contagious bacterial disease
OF the pear and allied fruit trees. II at
taeks and rapidly kills the blossoms
young fruits and new twig growth and
runs down in the living bark 10 the larger
limbs and thence to the trunk.
The leaves usually succumb in from on'
to two weeks after the branch on which
they grow is KILLED but remain attached
and are the most striking and prominent
features of the disease. Blight variel
greatly in severity and In the manner Ia
which II attacks the tree. Sometimes 4
attacks only the blossom clusters, or per
haps only the young tips Of the growing
twigs; sometimes II runs down on th'
main branches and trunk. and again i
extends down only few inches from the
point of stack, The sudden collapse o
the foliage OF blighted branches has let
many TO believe that the disease p:o
crosses more rapidly than Il really does
II rarely extends farther than two o.
three Inches from the point OF attack y
one day, but occasionally reaches as mncl
AS one foot It Is an easy matter to de
termlne when tho disease has expende,
itself on any limb or tree. When Il il
stlll progressing the dscolored, blightei
portion blends off gradually into the nor
nal bark. but when It has stopped there Il
| sharp line Of demsrkation between Thu
diseased and healthy portions, Bligh
appeared first In spring on the blossom
About the time the tree Is going out o
blossom certain flower clusters turn blacl