Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-12-16
The Pear BlightIand the Best
Way Of Getting It Under Control
BY P. J. o'Gara. Copyrighted by Mail Tribune.)

of the blight new crop OF lniec-
tions Is found thriving. Another
source of difficulty in the spring or
summer time arises from the rapld
extension of the blight Infection IN
the branches Of varieties that are
very susceptible to the disease. Some
times, especially where the infection
has reached a large leader or the
body, the germs often reach a foot
or two beyond the discoloration, as
the disease is spreading so rapidly
that the bark has not had time TO
discolor sufficiently to be detected;
therefore, in summer cutting the re-
moval OF the infection must be at a
greater distance from the point of in
fection than In the fall and winter
work. Experienced men can judge
somewhat Of the distance by the rap
Iditv with which the stained bark
blends off into the normal bark. Fur
thermore, a reddish streak will often
be apparent in the carabium and
young wood, and by following 1t up,
clue may be had as to the possible
trend of the blight. The greater the
distance in which the blending takes
place the lower the cut must be made
and conversely. Disnfectlon IS more
important in summer cutting than in
winter cutting, and, although in the
dry coast climate the sunlight and
dry atmosphere will usually take care
Of most of the germs accidentally left
on cut surfaces, 1t Is by no means
true that infection may not take
place from such cases. Furthermore,
foggy morning following the cut
ting might spoil the whole procedure,
so the only safe way Is to always dis
infect. In recent bulletin published
by one of the eastern agricultural
colleges the recommendation Is made
to "disinfect the cut or wound and
not the tools This is one of the
worst mistakes that could be made
and shows that the author has never
had any practical experience in fight
Ing the disease. Often in using the
tools accidental cuts or punctures are
made, and it may happen that infec
tion may be produced by them. AS tC
| the choice of a disinfectant, permit
me TO state once more that there Il
nothing cheaper nor better than bi
chloride of mercury, and any substi
tute for 1t should not be considered
| Always use the proper strength, | t
1000, or even stronger, and accept NJ
substitutes. Do the work Of summe
cutting of blight with as great care a
possible; If this is not done you ma,
reasonably expect to do it alb owe
again, and, perhaps, lose some YER
valuable trees.
BY far the greater part, probabl
as high a percentage as 80 per cen
of the loss Of trees in California an
southern Oregon has come from bod
and limb infections through waite
sprouts and low fruit spurs. Wate
sprouts coming up from the roc
system, even at some distance frol
the base OF the tree, have caused fatf
' infections. Fruit spurs when locate
on the body or main forks, and bC
coming infected, quickly introduc
b the germs into the thick, fleshy bar
which carries all the sap, and de-
tructlon is very rapid II the tree
growing RAPIDLY and II II happens
be a very susceptible variety WatC
sprouts from the French stocks o
; which most OF our commercial vari
ties are grated are very susceptibl
and should be removed with Il
greatest OF care II needs no arg,
ment. therefore, to state that the r
moval of water sprouts and fru
spurs well up on the limbs Is an In
portant subsidiary practice In the col
= troll Of pear blight. Much of the Gu
g ting OF water sprouts Is done by far
4 hands who remove them so as
y leave a stub an inch or so long. I'll
10 result Is that several water sprou
. come from the same place the ne
d year. Water sprouts should alwa
= be cut out as far as the wood, and
c gouge or sharp saw, although produ
T. ing larger cut surface, effectual
y removes the spur for all time. Hea'
{ pruning back OF the tops OF the tre
10 as generally practlced throughout q
. coast as means to secure hea'
g fruit Yields, encourages the pushlI
h OF these water sprouts so that q
/, problem Is really an important on
i One matter OF very great lmpor
8 ance and which has been mention,
e before. Is the possibility Of worklr
l. all the non-reslstont varieties OF pea
r and apples on resistant stocks or no
n les. II has been stated that the WI