The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-02
AUTUMN ORCHARD WORK Fall Measures Control Pear Blight of Pear, Apple,
 and Quince Trees and Apple Bankers

considerably and result Tn IurCner damage to the tree by the extension of that particular area, but their worst feature comes from the fact that they supply the gummy exudate and the virus for new infections on the blos- soms the following spring. When warm weather comes in the spring and root pressure fills the tree with sap the hold-over cases start off wig orously and exude the gummy mat ter, especially in moist weather, lit orally teeming with the pear-blight bacilI. Insects, mainly flies, carry this to the opening blossoms
 Cutting out pear blight. therefore has double purpose, that of stopping the blight and cleaning up the tree, and second of preventing the hold over. Much good work on blight can be done in the summer time, but the final cleanup should occur in the fall Summer cutting, beginning as soon as the blossom blight shows plainly and continuing until the fruit is about half grown, is Helpful. The best time to do it is in periods of dry, sunny wealth CT. On young trees it is often very important, particularly young pear and apple trees, to head off the blight by cutting well below it as soon as 1t shows up in the spring and summer
 Examine Bark Thoroughly.
 In all blight cutting, either summer or autumn, it is important to exam inc thoroughly by cutting off the bark around the lower edge of the infec- ton to determine the lowest point at which any change of color, even water-soaked or transparent condition. can be detected with the eye. Young or active blight on the lower margin is either water soaked or usually red- dish discoloration of the bark. This is in rather marked contrast with the dry, dead bark where the germs have died out Having found the lowest margin of the disease, if it is on a limb, the knife, pruning shears, or saw is used, cutting all below the in lection. If the disease has stopped and the dead, dry bark is sharply defined in contrast with the live portion, the cut may be made quite close below the margin, or it may be made where any convenient branch emerges, or where the limb leaves the main branch or the trunk. If the freshly bIfghted area is short and the blend is rather abrupt between the dead and live portion, the cut may also be made rather close to the diseased area is required by the nature of the branch. Six inches may be sufficient in such cases, but the cut should always be made on to sound bark and wood. If the saw, is used it is always desirable afterward to trim the edges of the bark and the surfaces of the saw cut on the wood with a sharp knife to see if the whole surface is normal If a water-soaked appearance is found, even on the surface of the wood, this indicates that the germs have pene- trated the woody vessels and a lower cut is necessary, repeating the same process.
 If the disease has run into the bark of larger branch or extended down on to the body, the bark should be thoroughly removed from this area, cutting an inch or so at the margin and to inches or even more at the bottom. according to the viru1ence of the case, as suggested for work on the branches.
 A large bladed pocketknife, 8 scrap CT, and a. three-fourths inch carpen- ters gouge. kept well sharpened, are useful in cutting out the bark on these areas, The same principles of looking for water soaked areas in the wood should be applied here, and the gouge, or perhaps the chiseI, used to remove all suspicious wood and bark. The edges of the bark should be trimmed smoothly and neatly, so that they can be readily disinfected and healing of the wound can properly take place
 Use Ddsinfectants
 In all cases of blight cutting des- cribed above, a disinfectant should be carried constantly by the worker and each pruning wound or scar should be thoroughly wiped and sat- urated with this disinfectant and the tools wiped and cleaned with disin- fectant before going to the next case. Disinfection, of the tools before they are used again on any other part Of the tree is necessary to insure sl1c- cess, as infected tools may carry blight from diseased to healthy parts Various disinfectants may be used. One of the most convenient is a water solution of corrosive sublimate (1-1,- O00). Tablets can be purchased at the drug store which will make this strength by adding one tablet to pint of water. The solution should be kept in a bottle with cork and the operator should carry a sponge or roll of soft cotton cloth for saturatiner with the disinfectant and for wiping the wound and implements. The most convenient way is to have a small kit or basket and carry all the tools. including the bottle of disinfectant, in this kit. Tine sponge ori swab of cot ton cloth can be tied to a stout string about arms length and fastened to a buttonhole or the operators clothing
 Caution-Corrosive sub1imate is a deadly poison. The tablets and the bottle of disinfectant should be so la beled 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.
 Corrosive subIimate is a powerful but does not penetrate deeply. It does not kill the cut edges of the bark. Other disinfecants- can be used. A tablespoonful of ordinary bleaching powder or chloride of lime placed in a gallon of water is effective. A 2 per cent. bluestone solution is aI- so effective. Ordinary 40 per cent solution at the strength of 1 ounce to the gallon is likewise a good germicide. These solutions should always be kept in glass bottles or otherwise chemically clean contain ers They should never be put in tin