The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1915-07-20
CONTROL OF PEAR BLIGHT
BY ?. J. O'Gara, PathOlOgist, Depart
ment OF Agriculture.

The only way to control blight is to
remove all cases OF hold-over before
the blossoming period begins. Hold
overs removed during the blossoming
period do not insure that some in
lection has not taken place from
them. To remove hold-overs, or rath
err to find them on the rough bodies
use a gouge or some other instru-
ment with which to expose the It's
sues beneath. A water-soaked, red
dish condition of the soft bark indi-
Gates infection, which should be anti
septically removed.
The antiseptic to be used should be
bichloride of mercury, or corrosive
sublimate, and use no other. This
disinfectant should be used at
strength of one to 1000, or perhaps
stronger but never weaker. The use
of the various substitutes in sense
less practice, as there is nothing
cheaper or more effective as disin-
fectant than bichloride of mercury. 1t
is deadly poison and must be kept
away from children, and the contain
ers should be plainly labeled so that
unsuspecting persons may not be
poisoned.
blight and all socalled patent washes
or other remedies" should be avoided
Anyone who claims to have cure
for pear blight is fake" and should
| be treated accordingly Those having
remedies" for sale have no stand
| ing whatever; ii they had they would
not oppose every scientific fact known.
Summer cutting of blight should
10 l,,,f k1,o III 10 k&x,
effective, must be done carefully. AL
ways be sure to get below or above
the point of infection. II infection
is found in fruit spur or water sprout
never break them off unless you know
how far the infection has gone. There
is no further danger in the dead spur,
but rather In the infection which has
advanced beyond it. Breaking off the
spur and then applying the disinfect-
ant is not eradicating the blight New
er leave an infection until you know
that there is no such thing as "pret-
ty good work." the work is either
good or bad.
/ In order to render the fighting OF
pear blight more easy, trees should
be pruned in the vase or open head
form. Never grow a tree with a
main leader or center. hoep al wa
ter sprouts and fruit spurs off the
body and main limbs of the tree. Let
no water sprouts come up from the
crown of the tree or the root system
Be sure to cut out all crown gals.
/ When blight is prevalent or when
seasons conducive to blight occur, ex-
IRENE caution should be used in the
matter of using stable manure, com.
mercial fertilizer or applying too much
water. Irrigation practice should be
studied carefully, not only in con
nection with blight control, but witt
benefits or injuries which may result
to the soil.
The only way to keep blight under
rigid control is to increase the inspec
ton and make it rigid. II grower il
Caught experimenting, or not follow
ing out the directions for eradicatint
blight according to the letter of thu
law, force him by law to do whatevel
the inspector has ordered. l believ'
besides the regular corps of Inspector
we should have volunteer inspector
who will look after their own inter
ests Nv investigating the condition 0
Ineighboring orchards. Their appoint
ment may be made in the regular way
making them officers of the law havfnl