The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-14
n EPoRTs received from vario

n sections of the state, particularly
from Cache. Box Elder, Weber,
Davis. Salt Lake, Utah and Sanpete
counties, indicate that pear blight IS
making rapid inroads upon the orch
ards Of those sections, and unless Wig
orous efforts are I.-.mediately taken TO
keep this dread disease in check, the
pear orchards are doomed.
The pear blight. or fire-blight, as 1t
| is sometimes called, is perhaps the
most fatal malady known TO plants
In its sudden appearance. its rapid
course, and its destructive results III
much resembles the deadly cholera or
virulent smallpox of the human spe-
Cies. and prompt and energetic action
most be taken on its first appearance
to check its spread.
Nature of the Disease.
That the orchardist may at once rec
ognize this malady, its symptoms are
here briefly described. The commonest
and most apparent feature Of blight Is
the sudden dying OF the foliage on
twigs and branches, Just as It It had
been burned by fire. This blackeninS
Of the foliage as by fire has caused this
disease to be known sometimes as fire
/ blight. The bark of the diseased tWISs
and branches, as well as the leaves.
I
Jearance of the bark is often so pro-
pounced that it viii be noticed even be-
fore the bIackened leaves In the
spring and summer the dried and dead
appearance of the bark viii shade OF
very gradually into healthy tissue
In the fall there viii be a swollen ap-
Pearance of the bark below the dead
part; this making a clear line OF de-
narration between diseased and heal
\ 4 hlncErr77Inrr
disease spreads very rapidly and twigs
and branches may be seen one day
which appear to be perfectly healthy
and the next day may be biaekened
and dead. Often q limb is seen black
ened down the sides and the foliage at
its tip fresh and green. Again a small
twig may be dead and the disease ex-
tended from il so as 70 girdle a large
limb on which IL is situated, while
above and below the twig may be
fresh and green. Most frequently the
disease viii be seen to have started
in a blossom and to have extended
from it down into the twig- Again the
blossom may have set fruit and the
blight have killed the pear ana gone
from 1t into the twig.
naemy of All Pome Trees.
Although this disease is known as
pear blight, it attacks also nearly all
of the pome or apple family, and last
year was found by the writer in april
cot trees in Brigham city orchards.
When once attacked by the blight the
apricot tree soon dies from its effects.
No orchard is therefore safe if this
disease is allowed to run its course
unchecked. In the apple the disease
does not spread so rapidly. being gen.
orally confined 10 the small twigs and
fruit spurs, and is often spoken of as
twig blight.
How to Fight the Pest.
On account of the germs being deep
in the bark and cambium and not on
the leaves or exposed parts, spraying
with poisons or other mixtures is prac-
tically useless The only cure so far
discovered seems to be to cut off and
burn the diseased parts and so stop
the spread of the germs. The branches
removed should never be allowed to re
main in the orchard, but should always
be burned. In cutting of tie blighted
limbs the cut should be made foot
below the lowest signs of the disease.
As there IS great danger in cutting of
diseased limbs of inOcuiating the cut
on the healthy parts, and thus spread
ing the C0Dtagion. the saw or knife
should be disinfected after every cut
For this purpose It Is recommended
that the primer carry q small pail con-
tanning a . per cent solution OF car
boiic acid. or kerossne. To fight the
disease successfully. not single dis
eased tWig or branch should be left in
the orchard. or anywhere near il; and
if the tree is too far gone to be saved
it should be dug out and burned. Com
plete destruction of the germs is the
only sure remedy. A few diseased
twigs left contain enough germs to kill
a whole orchard. For this reason the
blight should be cut out as soon as it
is seen. During the growing season
the orchard should be examined every
day or SO. and all bIigEted parts re-
moved and burned at once. In this
way the spread Of blight can be con-
tr0lled. The germ is not affected by
the freezing of winter. but passes over
to the next spring IN the swollen parts
Of the bark Of large limbs These dis
eased centers. which are generally very
readily detected by the blackeDed
leaves stiil remaining on the affected
branches. should be cut out during the
winter. 50 that there viii be no gum
exuded to start tie disease the second
season BY following this method,
pear blight can be controlled. It re-
quires only careful attention and
painstaking care. Eternal vigilance is
the surest cure for pear blight
Advice From Professor Corbett.
The following very pertinent advice
on methods of controlling blight by
systematic system of pruning, IS given
by Professor CoTbett Of the United
States department o. agriculture, IN
his late bulletin on tree pruning:
In addition TO modifying the form or
a tree by pruning, another and equally
as important a factor can be con-
troIled by this means. As is well
known the pear ordinarily suffers
severely from the pear blight. but the
work Of Mr.. NJ. B. Waite. Of the United
States department Of agriculture. upon
this disease has fully demonstrated the
possihilty Of controlling il by judieious
Isse tf5sfs 81 pruning The pear blight
gains entrance TO the tree in a ma
5eTitg- Of cases through The foWers. and