Jackson County journal., 1915-06-18
APPLE BLIGHT

The undersiened's attention is
called to an article on apple and
pear blight, written by Mr.. H. r. :
Fulton, Plant Pathologist of the
North Carolina Experiment Sta
ton, whose ideas are very much at
variance with my actual knowledge.
gained by observation and actual
Mr.. Fulton says that the blight is
caused by a fungus or bacteria, and
is spread by insects, ETC., and that
the bacteria is located in the bark
and wood of the affected tree; and
that a good remedy to apply to the
affected parts would be to use one
part, or one drop, of corrosive SUBJ
Innate to one thousand drops of
water, apply to the affected parts!
and to remove all the affected
bloom buds and limbs.
Now what l may have to say in
regard to the blight is the expeience
of one who has spent over quarter
of century in fruit tree culture,
and during those years of observa-
ton l have learned that the blight
is caused by what is known to hor-
ticulturists as the common :.c.s iy,
and is not considered as being of
very much injury to fruit trees.
only at regular periods of from
twelve to fourteen years. Like the
seventeen year locust. he disappears
for a period, and after many years
; will make is appearance again.
The saw fly is in reality a beetle
which makes an attack upon fruit
5 trees. usually just at the time the
!? trees are beginning to bloom, and
Y plying his deadly work mostly on
: the inner part of the apple
e tree limbs. introducing his poison
f bill just at the base of the bloom
bud. and on the outside and upper
e part of the tree. The beetle sub
n sists upon the tender buds and sap
and rapid growing outside limbs,
by penetrating the choice parts
with his sharp bill, and in so doing
poisons the limb punctured, which
will in a very short time ca',se the
bud, or limb to wither and Gle.
The saw fly deposits his egg il
Il the thrifty outside limbs. (never in
1t side) just at the starting part of the
H. new growth. and within a shor
at time will develop into a small, hare
ID yellow worm, which subsists upoI
e. the juices of the pith, and as hi
y wormship begins to grow, he move
le up and down the pith Of the limb
eating and living upon the pith ant
d wood next the centre, until tn
gs wood is all eaten out, only leavin,
ne the bark of the limb AS the worn
he grows older he extends his feedin
nd ground downward, passing anothe
= set Of leaves which was not kille
Il, when the egg was deposited. bu
cn will die in July or in early Angus
nd and can be easily detected by tn
re second drying of the leaves. Tn
worm either remains in his ori5ina
home or leaves the limb and bul
rows in ground until early 8prin:
emerging from the ground or Iimi
early in April, punctures the bl00r
We buds and stems and disppears fC
ISL a perioI Of about fourteen year
,ed The pulctured limp will sprout OF
= more bloom buds this season, jus
y at the lower part of the pois0ne
'ut part of the limb, the new growt
ars forming bloom buds next year, an
we the year following will produce
ow larger crop of apples than woul
~ have been had the saw fly nC
ldS made his appearance in the yes
zee, 1915.sIt's alright to clip off the POI
de- oned limbs,and thus give the bar
,ss a chance to heal over. You shoul
,o;r remove all the dead wood on Il
~. upper and outside in order that a
u i