Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-02-05
DISEASES OF
FRUIT TREES
Combating Diseases and Insect Attacks
Early in Year,
ORCHARD IN EARLY SPRING
Fertilizers and Tillage-EyilS Of Forcing
TresS-Cultivalion and Manage
ment Essential to Success
With All Varieties.

Every tree and vine planted is subject
to disease and attacks of insects. If all the
varieties of fruit trees were diseased alike
some remedy for prevention rould be de-
vised thar would he safe and serviceable'
but the climate and soil sometimes affect
the conditions and render the methods
practiced by frult-growers in one section
unsuccessful lin another, thus calling Tor
different managemente in different local
tiles. The peach, which formerly flourish
ed as well IN Pennsylvania and New Jer'
sey as in Delaware, has proved unproiita'
Bile of late years in some sections, owing to
the "yellows." The borer has done great
damage, but the work of the bOrer can be
prevented if the trees are carefully watch
ed. 1t has been supposed that the yel'oWs
is the result of exhaustion Of the soil--not
that the soil becomes necessarily sterile,
but that the elements essential to the
healthy growth of the tree and production
of fruit have not been supplied. As a
proof of this fact it may be mentioned
TN t in some sections of New Jersey the
fruit. growers are again giving their atten'
ton to peach growing, as time has enabled
the soil to accumulate and store up the
elements best adapted for that purpose,
but as vet there seems to be no sure rem
edy for the yelloNs, except to destroy all
infected trees. The success of the Della
ware peach. growers is due to their adop-
ton Of all the advantages necessary to
success and the avoidance of the mistakes
committed elsewhere.
Artificial fertilizers have done much to
prevent diseases of fruit trees, as by their
use the growers can supply the needed re-
qnirements in any form and quantity de-
sired of the essential elements, which Is
not the case when reliance is placed eX.
clusiyelv upon barn.yard manure, which,
by its decomposition in the sill some
times induces the disease witch 1t is
sought to prevent. The yellows attacks
peach trees in any Climate, but singles out
those that are impoverished and of feeble
growth though ii is contagious when
brought in contact with healthy trees.
The blight is a great enemy Of pear
trees. 1t has been found that the disease
attacks those trees that have been forced
too rapidly in growth, aud that it will not
do to heavily manure and cultivate ihe
trees before they begin to bear, the best
conditions being a light grass crop in the
orchard, assisted by artificial fertilizers
composed largely Of potash. Potash is
also beneficial to tie peach, and, in fact,
to a.; fruits, increasing the amount OF
sacchariue matter, although but little
potash really enters into the composition
of the fruit. During the period Of frulting.
ground bone, or super phosphate, has
proved beneficial, the strawberry being an
example. While it is essential that the
trees be kept in a strong, healthy, vlgor'
Gus growth, more damage has been done
by forcing them than in any other man
ner. Exposing the surface soil 10 the
heat of the suns rays in summer is detri-
mental, and hence the value of grass
crop in the pear orchard, which shades the
trees, but such crop must besupplied with
plantfood 10 prevent robbery of the
orchard. A cheap and excellent fertilizer
is made by composing mari, lime and old
sod. allowing the mass to reach fine con
dition before applying to the orchard.
while stable manure, though combining all
the eements- of pantfood, should never
be used until thoroughly decomposed, the
fresh material being too heating, as well as
containing bacterial life detrimental to
success. The peach orchard is cultivated
differently from the pear trees. 1t is now
claimed that the same culture given corn
answers for the peach, but nothing will
avail to win success unless the trees are
carefully pruned and the bore1 prevented.
Many of the obstacles heretofore encCun-
tered are due more to improper manage
ment than to other influences.
phia Record.