Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1910-07-07
FIRE BLIGHT FOUND IN
WASHINGTON ORCHARDS
Southeastern Washington Fruit Sec
tion Affected by Bacterial Disease
Experts of Farming Demonstra-
tion Train Ascribe Remedies.

ington have just discovered that man
of their fruit trees are affected witt
the bacterial disease known as Fir,
Blight" Reports made to the horti
culturalists with the o. r. & NV
S. C. farming demonstration traiI
last week indicate the presence o
fire blight in apple orchards all ovel
that section, especially through the
Touchet valley. so says the Spokes
man-Review.
The prevalence OF fire blight
throughout eastern Washington leav
es no occasion for doubt that this is
the most serious trouble confronting
orchardists at the present time, said
Professor A. L. Melander, who accom-
panied the train. The disease attacks
equally the pear, apple and ounce,
and if neglected will cause the des-
truction of the stricken tree.
Fire blight manifests itself usual
ly in the form of blossom blight; "
that is, the blossoms become affected,
either a single flower. or several.
Starting there, the blight travels
down the stem of the flower and into
the spurs or twigs. The fruit and
leaves wither, and the leaves be-
come so dry that they crockle Pear
leaves are turned a blackish color
by the blight; apple leaves become
brown. Often the blight is so local
as to attack but few of the leav-
es and above and below the place of
injury the leaves may remain in
healthy, green condition.
This is a bacterial disease, not be-
ing caused by insects or fungus spor-
es. In a way it is similar to tubercu-
losis or typhoid fever in man. That
is to say, it is caused by bacterium.
When the twigs become blighted,
tse bark discharges a thick liquid
which attracts flies, especially the
blue-bottle fly The insects become
contaminated with the germs. Wis
iting other blossoms and trees, they
transport the disease from flower
calyx to flower calyx.
The bacteria work their way under
meath the bark, so can not be treat
ed by any spray. Such bacteria tray-
cling underneath the bark, turn it
to brownish color The cutter symp-
toms will be a blackening spot. By
cutting in the brown, inner bark
will be found extending several inch
es below the blackened outer bark.
Every bit of bark, outer or inner,
signs of the disease, must
be pruned out and burned. The cut
should be made from six to "a inch
rs below every sign of danger. Care
fully steriliZe the cuts, swabbing oY-
er the surface with l to 100 solu-
ton Of corrosive sublimate. Tablets
1f this can be secured from any
druggist under the name of mercurlc
Jichloride tablets.
We can not emphasize too much
he Importance of care in sterilizing
he cut surfaces. Similarly 1t is inn
,ortant that all tools used should be
;terilized. Otherwise, the blight will
De spread from tree to tree. These
,uts should be made during the dry
season, perhaps best during August
The blight will not spread to any ap-
,reciable extent until next spring. Al
hough such treatment may seem he
oic. it is oftentimes necessary to
ut out half a tree In such case.
t would be half of the tree this year,
II all of it next year.
If fire blight is not treated by
hese heroic measures, it is safe to
ay that it may spread until the or
hard industry would be seriously
A dozen years ago there
vas an epidemic of fire blight that
truck particularly the river valleys
f eastern Washington, which in
reased in extent till it wiped out
every pear orchard. 1t
Gems as If there is a similar In
rease in fire blight through this ]
ection. Every measure should be
lade to get orchardists working to- {
ether to stamp out this orchard [
lague. I
Feeds on Bark and Sap.
Professor W. S. Thornber, who ac- c
ompanied the demonstration train, !
aid:
Fire blight of apples, which is be- G
oming so rampant in fruit-growing (
ections of southeastern Washington, {
not a new disease. 1t is as old as a
pple or pear culture. We know b
hat it is, and that It must be met
18th an iron hand. il
The disease is a bacterial trouble a
aused by a small bacteria that finds j
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