The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-14

VT aIssue Is due to the enueaVor oL IhS plant to rid itself of the parasite by messing the same with new tissue. The presence of the parasite in the tis- sue Of the plant has also tendency to stimulate an abnormal growth The immediate effect of the disease Is not necessarily fatal. often the tree will show little or no bad result from It's presence for two or more years, put gradually the disease will entirely en- circle the crown. stimulating the growth of hypertrophied tissue, which greatly interferes with the nutrition of the whole root system. resulting In a slow death through starvation Some Kinds of fruit trees are less resistant than others. For example. it is well known that a young peach tree infested with the disease will live for a relative iy short time. while apple trees may i've TOT number of years. The germs ol tne disease live within the rapidly sroWing cambfum cells and feed upon the protoIasmic content of them.
 Crown-gall is known to infest ap- pres pears. plums, peaches, cherries. al- monds. grapes and citrus fruits. Its spread over the fruit growing areas has been rapid and fairly-well marked. In some sections the disease has hereto- iore caused no alarm, nor has it receiv- ga any attention, but with more general distribution of nursery stock from in- rested regions fruit t-growers cannot re- inadn idie to the danger that may come Lnrough its introduction. Generally. Iruit growers and nurserymen are not familiar enough with the disease to be able to tell its presence The general ignorance regarding the disease is un- douotedly due to the fact that the dis ease has heretofore not been recogniz- ca as especially dangerous. and in many instances the orchardists have not known that their trees were killed by the disease. Some other cause has generally been assigned. The disease is quite contagious and spreads rapidly over the land and on this account 1t is oouoiy dangerous. If the disease once gains foothold in a block of nursery stock large portion of the trees in the block are very apt to become in. rested. The same is true in regard to infested orchards.
 Tn many fruit-growing sections in ene east, southeast, south and south- age.
 Perhaps the chief reason why tbe iruit-growers fear the disease Is that Just aoout the time when the trees be- come profitable or when the trees have a..ained bearing age. they begin to rot oit at tne crown and die. This is es- pecialiy true of apples. The writer mas particularly in mind a thriving or cnard in the Southeast. of twenty-ave acres or apple trees, eleven years old
 wnich had borne few crops, when all al once aDout one~half of them began 10 raiL' Upon examination it was found that the trees had been killed bv crown gall The fruit-grower does not only rose ms trees. but the time, which ia the greater loss. The first cost of inc tree Is very small compared with the value when they have attained tha bearing age. 'i9
 The disease generally gains an en- trance into the tissue through some 'HJury to the roots. Sometimes through a small wound made in grating This ID especially true if the gratis are wrapped with a few twists of cora leaving exposed openings between inc cora. It also gains an entrance through wounds made by borers and other in sects It is doubtful whether the germ can gain an entrance except throueh some wound or some place where the bark has been bruised
 The disease spreads by spores which are produced at certain stages of de Velopment of the gall. These spores are exceedingly small and are carried
 e-C "A'AN tO all parts or the OrChdrd, Also in cultivating, the old gals are rubbed off the crown and carried around in the field, by the cuItivator. Often diseased roots and parts of the dead trees are permitted to remain in the orchard, forming source of in- lection.
 The habit and life history of the disease makes it difficult to effectively combat it. After the trees have once become infested nothing can be done since the seat of the disease cannot he reached without killing tile tree. Cut ting off the gall does not stop it's prog ress. Precautionary methods must therefore, be relied upon. Trees infest- ed with ctown-gall should not be planted, no matter how cheap they may De. Tor they are expensive even as a gift Infested orchards should not he replanted to fruit trees for a few years Rotation of crops should be practtced ny nurserymen having infested trees since the disease will die out fin A few years if left to itself. Infested trees should be carefully taken up and burn ed'-Prof. F. P. sandsten, in The Ameri- can Truck Farmer.