The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-07-07

being carried on Systematically, and
the battle with the worms gives promise
of victory to the farmer. Hood River
farmers do not argue on the spraying
question. Proofs Of its value have been
too conclusive. AS Mr.. Smith says
"0f apples as Of liberty, eternal yigi.
lance is the price OF good fruit"
|
II Proves to be Crown Gall.
At the annual meeting of the Pacific
coast nurserymen in Hood River, June
l, considerable interest was shown in
the discussion Of crown gall on the roots
of our fruit trees Sample roots affected
with knotty growth were exhibited.
Some Of these were taken from a seven
year old tree in one of our orchards,
and others were taken from one year
old nursery stock from one OF our valley
nurseries.
Many OF the nurserymen declared
that it was not crown gall, and that
whatever it was it did not amount to
any great damage. | somewhat differed
from the prevailing opinion and sent
some sample roots to Professor j. w.
Tourney OF Tucson, Arz., who was ac-
knowledged by all nurserymen present
as one of the best experts on crown gall
in the United States. The following is
the reply | received. 1t explains ITSELF
Agricultural Experiment Station, Tue.
son, Ariz,, June %, l904.-A. /. Mason,
President Apple Growers union, Hood
River, Ore.-Dear Sir: Your letter to
Professor Tourney is at hand and am
answering it in his absence. The apple
tree roots also received from you are
infested with crown gall. / recently
received similar infested roots from
other parties in your neighborhood, so
that can readily believe your state
ment that the nursery stock of your
districts are largely affected. The shine
mould, which causes the diseasa, gains
entrance through injury to the root as
you suspect.
"The infection is carried from place
TO place through the soil especially by
the use OF irrigating water.
"Our bulletin 33 is nearly exhausted
so am sending you half dozen copies
of our "Timely Hints" No. s ON the
same subject. We have found The dis
ease quite possible to control in this
country by means Of the hive, iron and
coffee wash described in "Timely
Hints" Very truly yours,
"R. H. FORBES, Director.
Ii this disease is as common as | be-
lieve it is and as harmful as Professor
Tourney describes it, it behooves us to
examine very carefully the roots of all
young trees before We plant them. We
should remember the maxim, Gan
ounce of prevention is worth pound
of cure" Yours respectfully,
A. l. MASON
Following is the experiment station
bulletin in which Professor j, w.
Tourney describes the disease Of crown
gall:
The crown gall is disease very injur-
| ious to deciduous fruit trees, particu-
plum and nectarine. The same, or
closely allied gals, have been found
upon the roots of apple, pear, English
walnut, grape, raspberry and number
of other plants, both cultivated and
wild.
The disease may be readily recog-
nized by the large knot.like outgrowths
which develop at the crown of the plant
Just beneath the soil, or, in older plants
on the roots and rootets. There is no
disease of deciduous fruit trees in irri-
gated regions that is so widespread and
that causes so much injury to the fruit
industry as the crown gall. Not only is
it prevalent and rapidly increasing in
the irrigating regions of southwestern
| United States, but it is becoming one
OF the most menacing diseases which
threaten the deciduous fruit industry
in practically all OF the great fruit cen
ters OF the United States.
For the past six years | have had the
crown gall under observation, and five
years ago published preliminary re-
port regarding it, as bulletin No. IL of
the Arizona Experiment station. This
report was based almost entirely upon
observations in the field Two years
ago extensive experiments were begun
TO ascertain the communicability of the
gall. It is sufficient at this time to
state that / have repeatedly produced
the disease by incubation of young
seedlings with small bits OF the gall, in
some instances the gals beginning to
develop twenty days after incubation.
Again, l have repeatedly produced
the gall on almond seedlings by plant
ing the seeds in sterile soil, and at the
time Of planting placing few pieces of
minced gall in the soil.
There is no question regarding the
communicability OF this disease; it is
contagious. The disease is probably
caused by micro-organism known as a
"slime fungus;" the plasmodia of the
organism, through irrigation, causing
the gals to develop. Under certain
conditions the plasmodia creep to the
surface of the gall and form amoeba-
like bodies which slowly make their
way through the damp soil to other
| plants.
No details are here given, as l expect
soon to have ready for publication, as
bulletin OF this station, detailed re-
port Of the investigations, describing
the cause and nature Of the disease, and
how best to deal with it. Knowing the
nature of the disease, the question with
the fruit grower is how to eliminate it
from the infested orchards. The best
advice that can give to those intending
TO plant trees is to get trees from nur-
sery that is absolutely free from the
CTOhu gall ~ 10 uOJ buhlClGuJ w CuEb
aside as worthless only those trees with
gals upon their roots. Every tree that
comes from an infested nursery is dam
gerous, and when such trees are planted
great chances are taken. If your orch
ard is already infested with crown gall,
you cannot entirely get rid of it. All
that you can do is to hold it in check
and keep the gals as much as possible
from the crowns OF the trees. When it
appears on the main stem of tree
few inches below the ground, that is,
at the crown, as it frequently does, par
ticularly on young trees, it is almost
certain in time, If unchecked, to cause
the death of the tree. As this disease
only affects the tree at the point where
the gall develops and in the adjacent
tissue, if the gall be removed and some
thing be applied to the wound to pre-
| 81 al l., A,l1