Mohave County miner., 1916-09-23
HANDLING OF APPLE
 TREES ID PREVENT
 ROTTING OF ROOTS

In answer to an inquiry regarding the cause of apple trees dying out in large numbers, Far Adviser Paschall of Cochise county has written the fol- lowing:
 Concerning your fruit trees, which you state are dying, it may be that the trees have root rot. This is a very common disease among apple trees in your region. It is a fungus disease, which seems to be the same as that which attacks alfalfa, tomatoes and seevral other kinds of plants. No practical cure is yet known for this disease. Scientists are now working on it and it is hoped that a remedy may soon be found. However, I be- lieve that the trouble with your trees is too much water and not enough cul- tivation, for your particular kind of soil. You may remember that we ex- amined the soil near one of the trees and found the soil was very wet (al- most waterlogged), while the surface of the soil was sufficiently dry to ap- parently need irrigatfng. The soil in your orchard, while being somewhat sandy on the surface, has a fine clay subsoil which does not afford good un- der drainage. With such a type of soil irrigation should be done with care. Apple trees will not stand "wet feet" especially when there is prac- tically no under drainage to allow the surplus water to pass away. The tree roots can also be "smoothered" by shutting off the soil air. When the soil is water logged all the spaces be- tween the soil particles are filled and there is no room for air. A fine sandy or silt soil with clay subsoil, such as yours when once well supplied with water, will hold the moisture for long time. If given too much water the air is excluded, soil, air and mois- ture movement in the soil is checked, which checks the formation of food for the plants, the roots will use up the supply of available food and the trees will then die; this also causes an ac- emulation of alkali or other harmful elements, if such should be in the soil, around the roots, the trees stop grow ing, the leaves at tips of branches turn yellow and will finally die. The remedy is to examine the soil for at least foot deep before irrigating. Do not irrigate unless the trees need the water-but do not wait until the soil becomes too dry. Do not allow the water to run closer than two feet to the young trees. Cultivate well after each irrigation. In setting out young trees do not put them too deeply-two or three inches deeper than when they were in the nursery is sufficiently deep; in a coarse, deep sandy soil the trees may be set deeper.
 The trouble which have outlined to you seems to be the common trouble with, young fruit trees in your local ity.
 When the time to set out fruit trees arrives I shall be glad to assist you in the selection of varieties, setting out the trees, giving further directions for caring for the orchard, etc. I suggest that in those places where the trees have died you take out the trees with in the next two months, leave the dug holes two and one-half to three feet across and three feet deep, open until near time to set out, fill the holes to near about where. the roots are to be set with good sand; sand from around a mesquite clump would be the best.