FIREBLIGHT.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16988, 10 November 1920, Page 7

FIREBLIGHT.

4- • 'A,TERRIBLE FRUIT DISEASE. Orchards in some parts of Auckland province have for some time been infested with a disease known es "£roblj>ht." As it i<t u ■recent invader, and is not known to Jfew /ieaiand fruit-growers generally, a doscrintioiof at may bo usafuL Iho fruits affected ait apples, pears, and qumcea; but the disease* finds a comfortable —and for the orchardint most inconvenient— nome in.the hawthorn. The first sign of in- ■ lection is usually seen. in the flowers, which become discoloured and die, eo that the fruit • docs not form. TLs disrate travels down the twigs, and forms '.'cajikera" in tha bark • and if this effect is serious enovgh for tho patches to exV-ud right round the twi", it is m "effect nng-barked, and wilts suddenlv. If a tree is badly affected, it takes on. a scorched appearance, from which the blight gets its name. Aphides liel? to spread the disease by sucking the juices from diseased parts and later migrating to clean shoots, which they infect. The events described constitute only the actively destructive period of one scmon. fho ba-ciena which oaute tho remain , iaaotive during the oold of winter, under the bafk, but in the spring they bogin to multiply j at aa enormovs rats- and cause little swel- ; linja, which burst and exud- a gummy eub- | stance. This consists partly of ;,ap, but i a minute quantity of it contains myriads of the bacteria. Flies are very for.d o"i this "ooze-," and, if after feeding upon it they visit fruit trees for haney, tlio infection of the flowers is almost certain. For tli>, reason the spread of tbe disease to healthy trK's in apt to be disastrously mpid. Jt ha« been found that the- hawthorn is. n, pro':il;c rim roe of the "ooze," and it is reg-ardtd by experts a? especially dangerous, because it is. not, iike fruit trees, under eupervision. The blight is caused by a' minute bacillus, or vegetable organism, which propagates, with enormous rapidity. A fir.gle bacillus in perfectly favourable condition® could produce a colony of about 16,50C,nw> baciili in SH hours. The fighting of tho tireblight bacillus ia engaging attention, bui eo far the cures are of the heroic type. Tlv> method recommended Is to cut badly-infected branches off and destroy theni; and where the infection is not eo severe aa to make complete removal cf the branch neoessaxy, the cankered bark shouid be, cut out down to the wood, and the wood sterilied with 5 per cent, formalin solution. Damages at the rate of £2 a day for "overtime" served in prison are claimed •by an ex-prisoner named Martin against the Santo Prison staff (says a Paris message to the London papers). There were two persons named Martin in neighbouring cells, on© sentenced to tour months' and the other to two raonUhs' imprisonment. When the time came for the Martin with the shorter sentence to be released, his namesake > was mistakenly freed. The unfortunate Martin had to wait another week whila official investigation was being made of tbe blunder.