The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1930-07-03
PEAR BLIGHT CONTROL

In getting around over the coun-
ty we notice considerable blight
showing in pears and Jonathan ap-
pies. Many growers do not seem
to be taking steps to clean up the
infestations. The following infor-
nation is a brief synopsis of in
festation contained in circular No.
20 of California, "Pear Blight in
California"
Water shoots about the body of
the tree and suckers should be re-
moved only during the dormant
season, during blight years, unless
infested. In developing new trees
it is well to leave 6 or z perman-
ent scaffold branches so that if one
is lost by blight the tree will not
be seriously misshapen.
Many insects capable of biting
or penetrating tender things and
the soft callous tissue of healing
wounds form possible blight car
rier. A number of growers have
reported that blight infestation is
heavy near hedges and other wind
breaks. Careful control of all in
sects should be advantageous.
Turnout the summer try to COW
er the orchard once week. to cut
out infested twigs and to treat
Cankers in order to keep ahead of
insect spreaders of the diseases.
The greater the number of new in
festations that may be carried to
healthy twigs. Furthermore success
in saving the larger branches, with
Zinc Chloride solutions depends
upon finding the cankers while
they are still young.
In removing twigs and branches,
cut to some lateral, lif possible),
a foot or more below the last sign
of the disease. Examine every
piece cut off to make sure that the
cut was made far enough below
the disease. If the disease was
within 8 or 10 inches of the main
branch, the branch should be treot-
ed with zinc chloride solution. Dc
not allow the cut piece to fall thru
the tree.
Trees severely killed back by the
blight throw out a great many sue
culent branches and these are very
susceptible to blight. On this ac-
count it is desirable to cure as
many diseased branches as posi-
ble.- Yet during severe blight ep-
idemic it will not pay to waste
much time treating small branches
with zinc chloride because diff,
ference of two or three days in
getting over the orchard may make
the difference between saving or
losing many large branches.
The removal Of late and out-of
season blossoms while cutting off
blighted twigs assists very mater
tally in lessening the number of in
fections during seasons of blight
epidemic. Some growers begin re-
moving these late and out-of-sea-
son blossom just as soon as they
discover that the blight is becom-
ing epidemic in their orchards.
Disinfect all cuts and wounds
and keep the tools and chears well
smeared with mercury-glycerine
disinfectent, made as follows:
Formula No. 8 Mercury-Glycerine
Disinfectant
1 quart distilled water Tor rain
water).
8 quarts commercial glycerine
J Is tablets cynanide or mercury
(, Tor Ia ounce of the crystals)
16 tablets bichloride of mercury
/ Tor IA ounce of the crystals)
Add the water to the glycerine
in clean enameled kettle. Heat
to 165 or It's degrees Fahrenheit
Remove from the stove. Dissolve
the cyanide of mercury in this by
stirring rapidly with a clean dry
! stick, glass rod or enameled spoon
i Next add the bichloride of mercury
and stir until dissolved. The tab.
] lets are the z IL grain, or half
gram size, known also as large
tablets. The powder or crysta
form of the pure compounds is us.
ually much cheaper than the tab.