The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-12-02

any Iule as soon US possible aftef IN,
specting the wounds. 1t sticks we'll
even though the cut surface on the
end of a branch is still somewhat,
moist when 1t is applied. Il
J Pear blight eradication Is quite a
careful piece Of work. It requires
close attention on, the part Of the
orchardist or careful training OF the
help who may be engaged In it. Re-
member that thoroughness is essen
tial for success. It Is not necessary
to determine in all cases whether
helpful as guide in determining,
how low to go. In actual practice
1t is better to cut out all the dead
limbs and all the blight anyhow, re-
gardless of whether it is a dead case
or not.
The blight eradication should Nal-
ways precede the pruning. Other
pruning for shaping up the trees
may be done, II preferred, before
leaving the trees. or may be post
poned until some convenient time
later, but, of course, before the buds
push in the spring.
Apple Cankers.
Apple cankers form dead spots on
twigs and branches OF apple trees
and occasionally extend down on to
the. bodies. There are several diff
ferent types of apple cankers in var
ious parts of the United States. Oc-
casionally two or more kinds may
occur on the same tree They are
caused by fungi growing compare
lively slowly in the bark and killing
it. They often enter in the twigs,
fruit spurs, or blighted areas killed
by pear blight, by may infect en-
tirely independent Of these sources.
Frequently locust scars, pruning
wounds, or other injuries furnish the
point of entry. but some kinds Of
cankers infect directly into the bark.
The blister canker, common in the
middle West, is particularly severe
after winter killing or after the trees
are weakened by extended droughts.
The particular kind of species of
apply canker may be determined by
the grower by sending sample, pre-
ferably the whole area of q small
canker or a section of the limb show.
ing the margin, to the department OF
agriculture or the nearest state ex-,
pertinent station. It is not absolutely
necessary in most cases to identity
the species, since the treatment. as
far as worked out, Is essentially the
same.
The principal method of controlling
apple cankers is identical with pear
blight, as described above. Where
the canker Is located on a branch or
limb which can readily be spared.
and especially IL it reaches half or
nearly half way around the limb. II
Is best to saw the limb or, cutting
six inches to foot below the lowest
evidence of disease. then disinfect
and paint or apply the coal-tar creo-
sote-oil wound paint. Cankers 10.
Gated on a large branch which can
not readily be spared or on the BODY
Of the tree may be eradicated and
trimmed out exactly as described
above for pear tree blight areas. us.
ing the same methods and preferably
the coal-tar creosote-oil wound
treatment Immediately on finishing
the scar.
Cankers do not require the prompt
reinspection and retrimming as iu
yirulent pear blight cases, but It is
a good practice to look them over the
following spring and again in the
7 fall, and rework them or. saw Off
the branch If an occasional failure
has resulted Some cankers behave
rather differently from pear blight in
that they check up during the grow
| ing period of spring and summer
and the tree attempts to heal them
over, then in the fall and winter the
canker spreads again, killing the
margin of the new growth. This Is
Frequently repeated several times as
1.-THE canker enlarges. Such old cases
are rather mean to work on and
usually, though not always, demand
the removal Of the branch.
In very bad outbreaks of apple
canker. fall spraying with rather
thick Bordeaux mixture, at least as
strong as $3.50, is advisable. The
treatment is not usually necessary
in most apple districts OF the United
States, but If the grower is having
a real fight against apple cankers,
the fall eradication should be made
rather promptly as soon as the
leaves are of, and the whole orchard
should be sprayed with this mixture.
This protects the tree against most
OF the reinfections in the bark and
probably fills the spores on the sur
face Of the wood and possibly many
minor or incipient cankers
u H ~ ~