Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-08-18
DISEASE KILLS PEACHES
Inctxtry in Berkeley County May
Be Wiped Out.
Mr.. CLoHAN SOUNDS WARNING
Declares That Fellows and Brown
Rot Menace Every Peach Or
chard in This Section.

1~Ob nAChdSS Every E6dCn Or~
chard in This Section.
y newspaper man dropped into Post
master CIohan's Office today and
found that official busily engaged in
preparing call for meeting OF the
fruit growers of Berkeley county, for
the purpose of taking some immedi.
ate and aggressive action sgaiust the
spread Of the "yellows," a disease
which Mr.. Clohan claims is wiping
out the peach industry of this county.
The well-known president of the
state and county horticultural societies
was greatly concerned over the situa.
ton among ths peach orchards, and de-
clared that unless drastic measures
are at once adopted to stop the spread
of the 'yellows'' and the brown
rot" it will be but wear or two I'M
til ever peach tree in the county will
be killed by these diseases. He took a
gloomy view of the situation. and
stated that onlv heroic efforts could
prevett great loss to the growers
Asked what he thought of the condi.
zion at present in this county, Mr..
Clohan replied;
1t is my candid opinion that the
situation is very bad. The continued
hot and wet weather has developed
not To- H.. q
few peaches escape. This disease is a
mysterious one, and its progress is so
rapid that a grower may decide on
Saturday that certain peaches will be
ready to gather on Monday. and on
that day find that every peach is rot.
ten. Its effect on plums is the same.
1t appears that little can be done to
stop tie spread of the disease. Spray
ing with Bodeauz is advised, and
generally works we'll. but this year |
SPRAYED plums four times and then
lost the crop It's effects on future
crops is sure to be disastrous unless a
positive remedy is quickly applied.
Being fungus growth, all of the rot
ten fruit left on the trees or ground
will provide treeding place for the
spores for the next year.
"How about the peach yellows?''
asked the newspaper man.
THAT is mere serious PROPOSE
ton, declared Mr.. Clohan. If
there is single orchard in Berkeley
county that has escaped the yellows,
/ have not seen it. This shows the ex-
tent of the disease. The FELLOWS is a
disease of the peach which causes the
leaves to urn yellow and the fruit to
= ripen rrematurely; it also changes
good free stone fruit into very poor
clings. such as the people of Martins
burg have been eating for the d st
month. The premature ripening OF
the fruit on few scattered branches
is a pretty sure sign that next year
there will be fully developed case in
that orchard. In some cases this dis
ease spreads slowly at first, affecting
ONLY few trees in each row, but at
other times it spreads rapidly. and
from few trees it may infect whole
orchard in single season.
Asked concerning the remedy for
this disease. Mr.. Clohan continued 4;
s'There is but one remedy-to cut
down and burn every infected tree the
moment it is discovered. Don't wait
of I do
not think the peach industry will be
ruined in Berkeley county if the grow
ers will destroy every infected tree
and not plant any new one fer at least
two years. We could then start up
again with good prospects of success.
There is a law to compel the destruc-
ton of ali diseased trees, and those
who will not do so voluntarily can be
compelled to do so. -
Mr.. Clohan concluded his remarks
by stating that he was preparing call
for meeting of the Berkeley County
Horticultural society (Which will be
found in another column), to meet in
the court house here on August %.
At this meeting plans to save the
peach industry in this county will be
discussed and lie slated that he be-
lieved that vigorous action would be
taken by the growers. Prof. Sheldon,
OF the experiment. station at Morgan.
town, will be present at the Meeting
and give heigrowers the benefit OF
his knowledge.