Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-09-18
Scabbed Apples Should Be Cooked,
Not Sold for Eating.
(By Professor P. j. O'Gara.)

NOO oOiu AOT hdOlHSs
(By Professor P. j. O'Gara.)
Owing to the excess. rains of this
season, together with a very high
humidity, quite uncommon for this
district, conditions were favorable
for the termination of the scab
spores from the few primary infec-
tions which regularly occur. Taking
the valley over, scab is an uncommon
trouble; that is to say, secondary in
fections are extremely rare. How
ever, this year secondary infections
occurred in a few orchards, these
secondary infections having been pro-
duced from spores originating from
the primary infections. 1t must be
remembered that no secondary infec-
tions would have occurred had eli
matte conditions been normal. The
excess rains and high humidity were
quite as favorable to the termination
of the scab spores as they were to
the growth of weeds in the orchards.
Under section $500 of the horti-
cultural laws of Oregon we find the
following: Every person who
packs or prepares for shipment to
any point within the state, or who
delivers or causes to be delivered
to any express agent or railroad
agent, or other person, or to any
transportation company or corpora
ton, for shipment to any point with
out the state, any fruit or fruits,
either fresh, cured or dried, that is
infected with insect pests or dis
eases injurious to trees, shrubs,
plants, fruits or vegetables, is guilty
of a misdemeanor. The penalty for
violating the provisions of this act is
a fine of not less than $25 nor more
than 800"
Knowing the full life history of
the scab fungus, the act does not
necessarily prohibit the shipment or
sale of scabby apples. OF course, If
apples are so badly injured or de-
formed as to reduce their food value,
damages might be collected upon
proof of Misrepresentation 1t would
be clearly matter coming more or
less under the pure food law.
According to the best authorities,
the spores or conida which are seen
en- mass as an olivaceous growth on
the surfaces of the fruit, leaves and
twigs are probably unable to retain
their vitality for any great length of
time, and are. therefore, not capable
OF producing infection the following
season. The office of the conidia
or summer spores is to produce Sec
ondary infections during the growing
season and thus give the fungus
plant a wide distribution-one of
natures provisions to maintain the
species.
Besides the summer spores or
conidia, other spores known as asco-
spores are produced They are pro-
duced upon the leaves, usually on the
under surface of infected leaves
which have fallen to the ground. The
so-called perfect or ascospore stage
may be found on the fallen leaves
during the latter part of October,
since the production of the perfect
stage is common when the leaves
fall upon the ground and are more
or less protected by their own num-
ber and by grass. weeds, etc. The
perfect stage is not fully developed
until early spring, when the mature
ascospores may be found. The first
scab infection seen on the young
fruits and leaves come from these
wintered-over spores found on the
fallen leaves. The spores or seed OF
the fungus germinate under proper
moisture conditions and send theil
little germ tubes 'beneath the epider.
mis- breaks the color is somewhat
olive in appearance.
Since the source of infection II
from the fallen leaves, there is nc
reason why slightly scabbed fruit
should be barred from sale. Of
course, IL the fruits are cracked oil
badly deformed, that must be util