Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-10-15
Some Suggestions to Jackson County
Orchardists.

Orchardists.
Since the question has been fire.
quently asked whether or not apple !
orchards should be sprayed with Bor-
deaux mixture this fall, | think it |
advisable to make the answer pub
lie.
Two reasons are usually given for
the use of Bordeaux as fall or win
ter spray on the apple orchards of
this section. First, for the control
of the apple-tree anthracnose, and, |
second, as a general sanitary meas
ure. The second of these reasons is
OF such questionable value that we
need not consider it at this time; but
the control of anthracnose is extreme
ly important, since next to apple ecab
it is probably the most serious fungus
disease of the apple with which we
have to deal The spores of the fun
gus are distributed in the fall and
infection takes place shortly after
the rains begin, hence spray for its
control must be applied early enough
in the season to prevent spore germi-
nation. 1t is very important that
every orchard be carefully examined
at this time and wherever anthrac-
nose cankers are found to be present
the orchard should be sprayed with
Bordeaux mixture, 6-6-50 formula, as
soon as possible after the crop is
harvested. This applies not only to
cankers of the current years devel-
opment but also to those Of two years
standing, since these are ready with
their second crop of spores for dis
tribution.
For the benefit of those who may
not be familiar with the symptoms of
the disease, the following brief de-
scriptiOn is given: Cankers begin to
develop soon after the fall rains set
in, They first appear as small red
dish-bpown spots on the surface Of
the bark. Beneath these the bark
tissues are dscolored and water
soaked in appearance. The discolor-
alton soon extends to the cambial re-
gion, where it frequently becomes
more widely distributed than would
Nbe suggested by the surface area The
spots develop very slowly or not at
all during the winter. but spread
very rapidly in the early spring, and
by the middle of May have reached
their full size. The diseased area
soon becomes dried, sunken, and sep
arated by crack from the surround
ing tissues. This dispressed condition
of the canker usually becomes more
prominent later because of further
drying and shrinking and by the
! formation of callus tissue at the edge
under the dead bark. In midsummer
numerous small elevations may be
i seen in the bark of the canker. They
are at first somewhat conical in
4 shape, but later rupture, exposing a
cream-colored mass of fungus tissue.
! These are the fTuiting structures of
/ the fungus and produce spores in
/ great abundance. The bark OF the
older cankers frequently become
loosened at the edges and drops out.
1t may, however, adhere for two or
even three years, each fall maturing
a crop of spores. These mature
cankers may vary in size from one
half inch in diameter to eight or ten
inches long and two or three inches
wide. Frequently larger cankered
areas are formed by several of these
! spots becoming confluent.
Fall Treatment for Apple and Pear
Scab.
Another question frequently asked
is whether or not some spray may be
Applied this fall for the prevention
of scab next season. Such a thing is
not practicable for the reason that
the fungus which causes the disease
is we'll protected within the leaves
and cannot be reached except by
something that is penetrating enough
to destroy the tissues of the leaves
themselves. All our spray mixtures
are primarily for surface disnfection
and would not serve the other pur-
) pose. The diseased leaves are the
chief source of early spring infection
and should be destroyed this fall or
winter. This can be most readily ac-
complished by plowing them under,
but in cases OF necessity they might
be raked together and burned. The
! scab is the most serious fungus di-
sease of the apple and pear in the
northwest and we should put forth
} every effort to check its further prog
!. ress in this valley.
I California Peach Blight and Fruit
Spot.
1 The California peach blight has
1 been observed to be very abundant
Il thfc In, ha ID W.