East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-07-17

j. NJ. Brown, horticultural inspec-
tor OF Yakima county, talks as follows
to reporter for the Yakima Repub-
| lic'
nave Just returned from the Walla
Walla valley, where have been study
ing the disease known as pear blight
l found the blight in abundance wher-
ever 1 found the pear tree growing.
The blight has certainly raised havoc
with the pear industry of the Walla
Walla valley Such a thing as grow
ing pears in that district is practically
thing of the past and upon thor
oughlN investigating the facts I attrib-
pte the conditions largely to careless
ness.
Upon informing myself in the best
way possible concerning the pear
blight, as to the nature of the disease
and the method of treating 1t and to
eNterminate the same 1 find the only
apparent remedy Is to cut away the
affected parts of the tree. Prof. C.
f. Waite, who is connected with the
horticultural department at Wash
me. says that so far there has been
no remedy discovered for the pear
blight except to cut away the diseas-
ed parts of the tree.
Even though they have had abso-
lutely no success in getting rid of the
disease, came away from Walla
Walla with firm belief that we can
keep the disease out of our valley or
at least we can successfully treat the
disease. After questioning DR.. n. G.
Blalock and others as to how they cut
their trees to get rid of the disease
and upon learning their method l did
not wonder that they had no success.
They went about their work in this
manner: They employed help wher-
ever they could fird an idle man that
knew no more about the pear blight
than q hog knows about Christmas.
and put him to work in the pear or
chards to cut and slash the trees with
out any consideration.
As to the nature of the disease. the
help was just as apt to cut through
the diseased portion of the branch as
otherwise. and wherever they cut
through the diseased limb the disease
would not in the least be arrested.
The knife would become Infected with
the bacteria germ and whenever they
would prune off a healthy limb the
place cut would become inoculated
with the germ and the disease would
rapidly follow down the limb from
the wound and the result would be
that the whole tree would become in
tested and instead of arresting the dis
ease it would spread worse than ever.
The germ of the disease I found
would burst out through the bark in
great quantities. 1t is a gummy sub
stance and in handling the limbs the
hands would collect thousands os the
bacteria germs and wherever the
hands would come in contact with the
healthy parts of the branches they
would become inoculated. thus spread
ing the disease in that manner. You
can readily see why they have not
had success
also took notice as to how they
pruned their apple orchards and
did not wonder at their trees not bear
ilS any DStlHT llldn lHtN 10. SpHlS
Of the frutgrowers would come into
town and hire any hobo they could
get to do a days work, take them
out to their orchards and turn them
loose to prune. These men had not
the slightest idea Of the principles of
pruning or what the requirements of
the trees were. I was talking to
man who lived six miles from Walla
Walla who had 20 acres of an apple
orchard. He told me he was going to
grub out his entire apple orchard.
asked him why and he said his apples
were so wormy that they would not
bring him In money enough to pay
the expenses of handling them.
find that any amount of the orchard
lists have cut out their orchards and
there are many more who will do like
wise. I found one man who cut out
his entire orchard of 5000 pear trees.
He said that before the blight struck
his orchard II would produce $1,000
worth of pears per acre. Some time
In the near future / will write more
of the description of the pear blight.