The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-08

-E@as1nssssA<'sss pear blight or fire
W. l.. Massey. blight as some
call It is caused by the growth OF Il
bacterium or bacillus that is brough, to
the blossoms In spring on the feet Of
insects, and grows downward in the
soft growing tissues. If the. trees are
closely watched you can detect the
first start of the blight in the shrivel-
ing CT the young bark before the leaves
turn black. Then cut it out several
inches below the point where the
shrivelinS IS noted, and there Will be
no more blight in that limb. But to
avoid any transfer of the bacilli You
should sterilize tho knife blade every
time cut is made.
This can be done by having q cloth
wet with n solution OF the bichloridc
OF mercury, which YOU can get in tab
lets at a drug store. This is the cor
rosive sublimate that has cut such 4
figure in print from people swallowing
the tablets by mistake Therefore in
getting them always put and keep them
where there will be no possible dan
ger OF any one making n mistake with
them. Then as 10 the pear trees. Keep
them In grass sod, and not in Guilt
waited and MANFRED soil, for the more
rapid and succulent, the, growth the
more the trees Will Blight. There will
be far less blight where the trees
are kept in grass. and the grass kept
mown ana used as Il mulch under tho
trees Some varieties blight far less
than others. The Seckel is generally
exempt. and Beurre DAnjou has al
ways escaped the blight with me, while
BARTLETT and Lawrence are especially
subject to it. Then, too, | have never
had Beurre Supcrfn blight at all. 1t
was thought that the Kiefcr was OK
empt. but now the Kicfcr blights rs
badly rs any. Sheldon and Vicar OF
WINFIELD blight very little. a mod
crate growth in grass is far safer
than strong growth In cultivated
ground. But be sure to burn all
blighted limbs after cutting them out.
for they Will harbor the bacteria.
Cedar Rust.
a friend in Nelson County writes
In the Monday last issue OF The
Times-Dispatch 1 notice that some one
wrote YOU from Culpeper County iii
reference to the fact that his York
Imperial apples had become small and
of no account. ard that this was the
condition of those of his neighbours
You seem 10 think it was due to the
condition OF the soil. In this you arc
wrong, as ii evidently comes from
cedar rust. | notice. in going through
Culpeper on the railroad, that there
are rows of cedars along every fence.
1t is utterly Impossible to raise York
Imperial apples and cedar trees on the
same farm. have no doubt that
Torr correspondents farm and those
of his neigh DORIS arc full OF ccdars
lie had ms Well make UP his mind to
cut the apples down If he wants to
Keep the cedars." You are perfectly
right, and If the Culpcper man had
said anything about cedars would
at once have understood his difficulty.
Not only York 1mperials, but apples
of any sort Will not thrive near cedar
trees. The so-called cedar apples arc
the winter home of the fungus that
attacks the apple leaves in summer.
IT is q sort OF Attenuation OF genera
tions. The spores formed in summer
on the apple leaves start their winter
form on the cedar trees, and in the
spring the knots formed on the cedar
trees put out long orange-colorcd
masses of spores. that dry up and
blow over on the apple tree and grow
there, making the apple leaf rust. NO
tree can perfect good fruit unless it
has healthy leaves. and doubtless this
is the trouble In Culpepcr if there arc
cedars around the orchards l thank
my Nelson friend for the suggestion.
for he has doubtless given the cause
of the small apples. 1t is merely n
question Of apples. or cedars, and i
have long known that these two trees
cannot thrive together, at least the
apples cannot. And ! would say TO
my Nelson correspondent that | am
always glad 10 have any criticism of
what I may advise in these columns,
for in tho multitude of counselors
there is wisdom | knew all about
cedar rust. of course but in that IN
stance did not think of it.
German ,IiIIct.
Westmoreland County: This is my
first attempt ut growing German mil
let At what stage of growth should
il be cut for hay Also fodder corn
for cutting for feed? How late can
crimson clover be sown in the North-
crn Neck of Virginia" Millet should
he cut as soon as the heads are we'll
out and before the seeds form. rs the
ripe seeds will make il dangerous food
for horses, since they are apt TO cause
impaction in the bowels. Corn plant
ed thick for fodder only, should lie cut
when the tassels are just out The
crimson clover can be sown III the
Northern Neck any time up TO the mid
die Of September. the earlier the
better.
From Hanover County: ~ lady has
a fine conifcrous evergreen in front OF
rer porch She does not know the
name but says that 1t has fine foliage
tipped with gold She wishes TO move
the tree, as it obstructa the view l,
l. twenty feet high. and she wouic
Ike TO know how to move it safely
cess, when only TO be moved shor'
distance. in the following way: cut
around the tree outside the spread OF
The branches on the ground trench
ana then undermine the mass of carti
till YOU get completely under il, ano
Ivy leaning the tree You can get poles
OF skids under it, Then cut channc
the width OF the mass Of earth to tho
new location and with block and fall
haul il over to the new place. Sill
cut the skids ard then ram the soil as
tight as possible all around the mass
or earth moved with the tree. Tho
time to do this IS in the spring, Just rs
>TGe tree starts new growth. Your tree
IS probably one Of the retinisporas
from Your description, perhaps Ictino
srora pisifcrp aurca, japanese form
Ct arborvitac.
Corn Breeding.
81 want to breed up an early varicti
o.. corn, and am told by older farmer
that to do so j must plant late ana So
Ice. seed from tho stalks that rcquir'
the shortest time TO mature. do no
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