White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-07-04
spattered onto the fruit.

spattered onto the fruit.
Blight during the Harvest Season.
Do ont stop the blight work during
the harvest work season. Keep a
competent man inspecting the trunks
and main branches because at this
time the most serious infections are
apt to be overlooked. In some sea-
sons, however, the summer and fail
infections occur mostly in the new
sprouts and off-season blossoms
which appear imediately after the
crop is off (of the Bartlett Variety.
At this time of year the most serious
losses of trees often occur on &C.
count of trunk and root-crown infec-
tons which do not ooze out gum
freely in the fall.
Fall Operations. If many cases of
blight are discovered in trunks and
rootcrowns at any time during the
be inspected Immediately by goug-
ing. Failure to do this might cause
very serious losses. Each inspection
cut as well as the tools must be dis
infected. The U-gouge is one of the
best gouges for this purpose.
An attempt should be made to find
all cankers Of blight before late fall
and winter because it is much more
difficult to cure active cankers dur
ing this season than it is during the
spring, summer, and early fall moths.
Disposal of Blight Cuttings. During
hot weather the infected twigs on
the ground dry rapidly and probably
are not serious source of infection.
During the spring and early summer
it is well, as a precautionary measure,
to gather and burn all twigs and
branches which are removed on ac-
count of blight. These cuttings should
never be thrown in large piles and
left unburned because they will not
dry out sufficiently to kill the bacteria
for long time. Especially before an
irrigation the fresh clippings should
be gathered because it is probably
possible to infect the root-crown and
suckers by bacteria in the irrigation
water. 80
The California station has done
considerable work in study of chemi-
Gals which would control the blight
especially in the bark canker stage,
zinc chloride has been found practi-
cal remedy. '
Formulas for making the solution
are given below. The solution is usu-
ally carried in fruit jar or wide
mouthed bottle and applied to the
cankers with paint brush about ~
inches wide. Round and oval brushes
are especially good because they hold
large amount Of solution. Larger
brushes may be used for large scat
fold branches and trunks. If an open
jar is used, only enough of the solu-
ton to last about an hour should be
taken at one time as the alcohol
evaporates rapidly. A heavy wire can
be wrapped about the neck of the
jar to serve as handle. "
In applying the solution, begin about
16 inches above the signs of the dis
ease in the bark. Lift the brush
carefully from the solution, so that it
will be dripping-full Of the liquid,
and then paint downward. allowing the
solution to run freely over the sur
face of the bark, and finish about
IL inches below the last signs of the
disease at the lower end of the canker.
In this way the solution will creep in
to all the cracks and lenticels. Do not
try to apply less material to can
ker on a small branch than on a large
one as this practice is certain to give
poor results. Use the weaker solu-
ticu in treating small branches, but
apply it freely. The solution should bel
applied fully around the branch even
though disease does not extend all
the way around-except in case Of
very small side-cankers on large
branches or trunks.
Avoid scattering the zinc chloride
solution because it will spot the fruit
and is painful to the eyes and more
or less harmful to clothing and shoes.
Very few inspection cuts should be
made in the bark in determining the
extent Of the cankers because the
solution is very penetrating and will
kill large spot of bark to the wood
wherever wound has been made.
All twigs and spurs within the
cankered spot, and for or s inches
beyond, must be cut back to- stubs
about 2 inches long. If the twigs are
cut off short, the solution will kill
a large spot of the cambium layer
around the cut. Be careful to apply the
solution well beyond the last stub,
for the pruning shears may have in
fected the cuts with blight even
though the disease had not progressed
that far. All except the cut ends of
the stubs must be covered with the
solution. Leaves remaining on the
stubs should be removed for they
interfere with the proper application
of the solution. 1t is not safe to. leave
twipy and SPURS in the treated area