The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-04

The edges of the bark should be trim
IneQ smoothly and neatly, so that they
can be readily disinfected and healing
or the wound can properly take place.
Use Disinfectants.
In all cases of blight cutting de-
scribed above, a disinfectant should be
carried constantly by the worker and
each pruning wound or scar should be
thoroughly wiped and saturated with
this disinfectant and the tools wiped
and cleaned with disinfectant before
going to the next case. Distinction of
the tools before they are used again on
any other part Of the tree is necessary
10 insure success, as infected tools
may carry blight. from diseased to
healthy parts. Various 0isinfectants
may be used One OF the most con-
venient is water solution of corrosive
sublimate (1-1,00O). Tablets can be
purchased at the drug store which will
make this strength by adding one
tablet to a pint of water The solu-
ton should be kept in a bottle with Il
cork and the operator should carry Il
sponge or roll of soft cotton cloth
for saturating with the disinfectant
and for wiping the wounds and i'm
PIGMENTS. The most convenient way
is to have small kit or a basket and
carry all the tools, including the bot
tie of disinfectant. N this kit The
sponge or Swab of cotton cloth can
be tied to a stout string about arm s
length and fastened to a buttonhole or
the operators clothing
Corrosive sublimate is a deadly
poison. The tablets and the bottle of
disinfectant should be so labeled
plainly and should be kept away from
children and other persons, and the
bottle of solution, when not in use.
being very inexpensive, should be
emptied.
germicide, but does not penetrate
deeply. 1t does not kill the cut edges
of the bark. Other disinfectants can
be used. A tablespoonful of ordinary
bleaching powder or chloride of lime
placed in gallon of water is effective.
A per cent bluestone solution is also
effective. Ordinary 40 per cent for
maldehyde solution at the strength of
one ounce to the gallon is likewise a
good germicide. These solutions
should always be kept in glass bottles
or otherwise chemically clean con-
tanners. They shhould never be put in
tin cans or metal containers of any
sort, since the solutions are decom-
posed and rendered inert by metals.
The water used should be reasonably
clean and the sponge or swab should
be kept clean by occasional washing
Hints for Effective Work.
Begin operations at the base of the
tree and work upward, otherwise a lot
of time and careful work may be
wasted on the upper part of branch
which it is later found necessary 70
remove, or body blight or even collar
blight found later may cause it
to be condemned. In some cases
there is limit. to the amount of
work which the grower is willing 10
do to save a tree. The blight should
be removed even if it necessitates
condemning the tree and roofing il
out A tree partly injured by collar
blight may be cleaned up and saved.
This often requires digging the dirt
away and working partly under
ground. 1t is necessary, however to
follow the margin of the disease, even
If it carries you into the ground, just
as if you were tracing the boundaries
of an island. 1t is usually best to
condemn a tree girdled by collar
blight. 1t is possible, however. after
doing thorough work of eradication
with a rather mild case of collar
blight, to bridge graft and thus save
the tree by the same process used
in bridge grating a tree girdlad by
mice or other animals.
Collar blight can best be detected
in the autumn, lust before the pear
or apple trees shed their leaves. This
and similar injuries to the collar of a
tree will cause the leaves to yellow
and assume bronze or autumn colors
and even drop, while those on the
normal, healthy trees are still green.
Other troubles, such as injuries by
mice. frost collar girdle, and fungous
root rot cause similar symptoms, put
these symptoms should lead to an in
spection of the collar.
To inspect the collar of a tree or
any doubtful point on the body or
on large limbs, dig out with a car
penters gouge or a sharp knife a
small piece of the outer bark, eX-
posing an area of the fleshy bark the
size of ones thumb nail. The cut
should not be made through to the
cam blum and will do no injury # the
bark is all right at that point. AL
ways do this with a disinfectant in
hand and promptly disinfect the tut,
blight or at least give an opper-
tunity for incubation. Keep the
knife or gouge continually disin- !
fected during this inspection.
Do not be deceived by the normal
rough-bark formation, which consists
of the outer layers of bark which /
have died naturally. Fruit trees, like |
other trees. keep their bark smooth |
while young and vigorous. AS they
get older the outer layers begin to !
bark underneath. This process starts |
mainly at the base of the tree and I
works upwa I'd, the oldest bark dying /
first. 1t also begins in spots the I
branches, especially at the bases of |
fruit spurs or small twigs, and finally I
covers all the older branches of the /
-ree. 1t is natural to the tree and |
needs no attention except to distin- /
yuish it from the true blighted areas. /
In working out bad cases of blight, 1
particularly on the collars, bodies. 1r /
anger branches where there is con-
siderable live blight in the thick /
'leshy bark, it is a good plan. after /
ioing the work thoroughly, to mark 4
such a case by tying strip of cot !
on cloth around the body or branch /
iGfa he 1lar,