Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-09-21
EXPERTS STUDYING
COLLAR BLIGHT
IN THIS COUNTY

United States Department Of AerIcul.
ture and the Experiment Station At
Morgantown Have United to Help
the Fruit Growers Of This Section
Fight the Disease.
United States Department of Agricul-
lure and - G. Neal OF the experiment
station at MnrSantown, are here at
work CT the problem of apple collar
b. iaht control. Their work on this pro-
ieet was first started carly Last spring
AT that time The disease WAS cleaned
cut on number OF frees in several
orchards. These trees are all doing
Sell. show no spreading Of the dis
eased area; and are healing over as
fast as could be expected.
This fall the work is being carried
into some additional orchards. and
those in which we worked last spring
viii be carefully gone over again.
This disease Ia very common. and.
as most of the orchardists know, very
destructive. The greatest injury Is to
be found in orchard of Grimes Golden.
but we have found great deal Of Ii
on Ben Davis, and quite little on
Black Twig
II can be undoubtedly be controlled
TO practical advantage and the aim
ii the presArt work IL 10 prove that
such is the case, and TO show the or
chardlsts how to do IL. Anyone inter
ested may find Messrs Neal and Me.
Murran here during the next few days
and talk with them or still better may
learn where the work Is being con.
Quoted and see the entire operations
by Waiting them there.
The method now used in handling
the diseased trees Ii to cut away all
diseased bark both above and below
ground; cut back about one-half inch
into the healthy bark. disinfect with
corrosine subimate; re-examine In
saw days to see that the disease
shows no signs OF spreading and then
paint over the wound.
1t is impossible to carry the work
into many orchards The problem Is
bound to come to the orchard mana
ger in the end. anyhow. He Is the
one who Is most often in and about
the orchard, and Il Is only by frequent
examination OF the trees that good
results may be accomplished In con-
troll of this disease The entire or
chard ought to receive tree to tree
inspection at least twice year. Any
tree showing the dark dead, sunken
bark. which indicates an infection
should be treated at once as tree
may become completely girdled in d
few weeks.
or course, the ideal treatment Is to
prevent the disease instead of having
to cure It. IT may be quite Impractical
to prevent 1t, but they will take up
this phase OF the problem and, by max
ing careful study Of the factors
which are directly concerned in its
cause, IL may be possible to control
some OF these conditions SO that the
disease will be prevented IL WIKI
however, be some time before they
have any reliable information along
this line. Meanwhile II is up to the
growers to learn methods OF control
and see that affected trees are proper
ly handled.
In connection with the apple or ced-
ar rust 1t win be OF interest for the
growers to note that cedars contain
very large numbers of the cedar zap
pies maturing TO spread infection dur
ing the spring of 1913. This should
stimulate the efforts at cutting out
cedars, as the usual moist weather
conditions next spring will bring
about another serious outbreak of the
rust If they are allowed to remain
standing in the vicinity of orchards
The cedars should be cut before
Christmas for best results. III they
are allowed to stand until too late.
some Of the cedar apples will mature
spores on the cut tress, unless they
are burned.