The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-03-21
DISCOVERS
CAUSE OF ROT

LAWKENUE DlSUUNEN
CAUSE OF ROT
The discovery made by Prof. W. H.
| Lawrence and b. b. Pratt, of the
pomologlcal offices OF the United States
department of agriculture. that the
great portion of the decay of apples in
storage is caused by the attack of the
disease, Anthracnose, is one of the
most important events in the history
| of orcharding in the Northwest for q
number of years. Professor Lawrence
the county fruit Inspector, states that
he has suspected that the rot was
caused from Anthracnose for number
of years. He hogan his investigations
last year, and he and MIR. Pratt, who
has been conducting a series of cold
storage tests in Portland, have made
the discovery that his suspicious were
correct. Apples attacked by the spe-
cies of rot have been tested and cul-
lures made from them. They all
display the same kind of spore in
terminating that the wounds of the
! Anthracuose attacked tree reveals.
Several prominent orchardists were
in Prof. Lawrence's office last Thurs
day afternoon. when he demonstrated
to them the results Of his findings. All
were enthused over his investigations
and with the benefits it will mean to
the northwestern fruit districts. where
the disease, Anthracnose, prevails.
"1he Investigations which MIR. Law
renee and Mr.. Pratt have been con
ducting and the results of their work
will mean the saving of hundreds of
dollars to the growers, said +. H..
Shepard, who was present at the dem
onstration, FOR it will prevent great
portion of the premature decay of fruit
in storage.
Anthracnose thrives in climate
where there is an abundance of mois-
tune and where the temperature is low.
THE spores will germinate at tenn
perature of as low as 81 degrees, says
Prof. Lawrence. 'As to whether il
will germinate in lower temperature,
! do not know.
Prof Lawrence and MIR. Pratt will
meet the growers of the Valley here
at the Commercial club rooms next
| Saturday afternoon and explain to
them the nature of the disease and
how it may be easily prevented from
causing rot to the apples. From the
interest that has areay been created
from the discovery and what it will
mean to the growers, large crowd is
expected. Visiting growers will be
present, it is understood.
Antnraen0se has long been known to
the orchardist and the hOrticulturist
1t prevails to a great extent over west
ern oregon and Washington, because of
the great moisture in the atmosphere.
! In the Yakima and Wenathcee districts
the growers are said not to be troubled
with it to any great extent bcause of
the arid condition of the country.
1t has been found that it is easily
handled and orchard that have been SO
badly infested with it that the owners
were on the point of digging them w
have been taken in charge by experts
an d have been entirely cured.
Less than DECADE has passed
said Prof A. b. Cordley in the No
vember, 1906, number of Better
Fruit. since those well versed in
horticulture were predicting destruc-
tion of the apple growing industry OF
the humid portions of the Northwest
by disease which was known various.
ly as "canker, dead spot or "black
spot. Nevertheless, in the last report
of the Oregon State Board of Horti
culture, President +. l.. Smith anc
Commissioner Carson both expressed
the firm conviction based upon persona
observation that the disease can be
perfectly controlled by spraying meth
ods as RECOMMENDED by a certain bulle
tin of the Oregon experiment station y
1t was at first thought that the An
thracnose diseases that attacked cher.
ry. apple and pear trees were Of a
different species. However, Prof
Lawrence, who was at one time con.
nected with the Washington expert.
mental station determined that they
were the same diseases.
In regard to orhards that had beer
seriously affected with Anthracnose,
Prof. Cordley in his article, quoting
from the state society's bulletin, said
''Eisman Bros. own an orchard Of 81
acres near Grants Pass which in 1901
was so badly diseased with Anthrac.
nose that they were about to dig il up.
Every tree in this orhard was diseased
with the fungus. Nearly all of the
tops of the trees were either dead OF
dying. The vitality of, the orhard was
so low that it did not produce enough
fruit to pay expenses. The brothers
] ela h fII rt
spots and dead wood during early
spring months but the fungus contin.
ued to increase. At my suggestion
Eisman Bros began spraying with
Bordeaux early in the fall, before the
leaves were off the trees. The beue
fits of their first fall spraying were
very pronounced. In two or three
years the trees were vigorous and free
from The fungus. 1t later produced q
crop of apples which sold for s35, 600.
Prof. Lawrence recommends the fal
spraying with Bordeaux. but states
that an early spring spraying before
the leaves come will cover over the
cankers caused by the fungus and pre-
vent the spores of the disease coming
out and being scattered to thus form
new attacks Proper spraying viii
soon relieve the orchard of the fungus
on the trees and having no place t
germinate it will of course not be con
veyed to the rruit and cause the de
structive premature rotting.
In giving his early summary Of tht
disease. Prof. Cor'iley said: The dis
ease usually appears first in the fal
upon one and two year old wood, sool
after the autumn rains begin, as small
circular, sometimes slightly depressed
brown areas of the bark, which will
continue to increase in number unit
the middle of winter, the larger nun
ber appearing during the months o
November and December. During tn
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