SILVER BLIGHT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20105, 8 December 1930, Page 10

SILVER BLIGHT.

INCREASE IN CANTERBURY. Tho damage that might he expected to result from tho ravages of silver blight in Canterbury orchards, unless immediate steps were taken to check it, was commented on by the Govern inent Orchard Instructor (Mr B. G. Goodwin) at Saturday night's meeting of tho Canterbury Fruitgrowers' Asso ciation. Mr Goodwin said he was sure that .silver blight was on the increase in Canterbury, and unless they took measures to combat it there would be no stone fruit left in tho province in a few v ears. Mr R. G. liatton, during liis inspection last week, had pointed out that liiey had been able to get the blight well under control in England by cutting out the infected wood and painting tho cut. It was important that both operations should be thoroughly done. Mr liatton had also said that, in England, they had saved 90 per cent, of the infected plum trees by this means. At this period of the year, when the blight showed silver on the leaves, it was not so dangerous because this was not tiie period of infection. In Governor's Bay the blight had infected tho broom on the hillsides, so that, at certain times of the year, thero were hundreds of spores floating about, thereby greatly increasing the risk of infection.