The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1913-12-19
ORGANIZE TO
FIGHT BLIGHT
Concerted Action Will be- tt
to Eradicate Pest Meet;,, ). -
be Called Soon

+Lo ol1 .. ifOM
the orchards Of this valley will /
made this winter. The work /.
been started by the Highlands !.
provement Club following tn. : Il
vice OF Prof. Thornber, and 4.
commercial Club has also Offered !,
assist in the work in any way -
slble' A meeting Of orchardists =,
be called within a few weeks ,na
some definite plan of combattin, !.
plague will be decided upon.
The pear blight has obtained H..
a slight hold in this section ). =
and it will be a comparatively a.. -
matter to wipe it out now. Nea]ss
it, however, and we will soon !.
facing the condition that prevails !,
'ne Nor'n aklma valley where, az.
cording to Inspector DeSellem 4.
blight caused loss of SIS, OO() IN,
ing the past season.
An organization of the pear grow.
ers of the district was urged i,
Prof. Thornber to wage the Sph,
against this disease systematica]l,
His suggestion is that some one COM |
petent be employed by the growers
to make a thorough examination i
every pear tree in each orchard and
where blight or any trace ofih
found, to work with the grower for
its eradication; the cost of such ser.
vice to be met by tax of a cent o.
two per tree, would be but small Ia
each grower. but would be Of inesti.
mable value to the industry Of the
valley as a whole.
During Prof. Thornber's prunin,
demonstrations last week, particula,
attention was paid to the blight
which has begun to devastate the
old Bartlett orchard in the upper
Garden Tracts. Last spring but two
or three trees were affected. Nov,
owing possibly to lack OF care in dis.
injecting the tools when cutting il.
fected trees, the disease has spread
to fifty or more trees and unlea
drastic measures are adopted the OF.
chard will be an entire loss inside
of three years, as will also those I'd.
joining. Measures for the proven.
ton of blight were discussed. CO.
sation of cultivation and groWingd
vetch, clover or alfalfa in the peG
orchard to prevent too rapid wood
growth, were recommended, AZ The
soft, spongy wood, a result Of *
cessive growth, is much more sus
ceptible to the blight than the harder
wood obtained by slower growth
Cutting out all sucker growths
from the roots was urged, as the
blight is easily transmitted BY then
directly to the roots Of the trn
where it is nearly always fatal. Al.
so the fruit spurs on the trunk and
main branches should be removed
to a height of three feet or mon y
prevent the disease entering TIE
trunk through that channel.
| About two hundred acres OF PAL
orchards are tributary to KenneFlcE
and it will require concerted intelll'
gent effort on the part Of theor'
chardists to prevent blight beccn'
ing a scourge that will taks
every pear tree in the district.
Blight is not confined to the pea
alone. Some varieties OF apples ~
very susceptible and those groWlns
apples in proximity to pear orcn'
ards should watch their trees Vev
closely. Ounces are more prone y
blight even than the pear and unleS
watched carefully the ounce tree y
the yard may infect your whole Or
chard before you know there IS any
danger.
While deadly destructive 70 1N
industry if neglected, blight yls'd
readily to careful, intelligent sreas !,
ment and if this is given one nee'
have no fear for his orchard. Esel'
grower should secure the aValla0,
bulletins on this subject for carelul
study. The Department OF As'.
culture, Washington, D. C.' l''''
such a bulletin, as do also the g