FIREBLIGHT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20181, 9 March 1931, Page 12

FIREBLIGHT.

WORK OF INSPE CTIONMSCUSSION BY FRUIT-GKOWEKS The recent misunderstanding concerning the action to be taken by those fruit-growers who - volunteered 'to act as honorary inspectors to trace tree? affected by fireblight, and: other matters concerning the control, ofthe blight, formed the' basis of discussion at the. mpnthly meeting.' of - the • FruitGrowers' Association on, Saturday oven* ing. It-was decided to nominate members : of a Fireblight Committee as pro: vided in the regulations, and in- the meantime/ to continue with the . work of inspection. Concerning the failure of members to call -on the Orchard rlnstructor,. Mr B. G. Goodwin, to i receive- their permits and information concerning - the areas to which they had been allocated, the chairman, Mr E." Freeman, said he was under thei. impresißien ■ that all thjit had been arranged was that Mr Goodwin should map' out the areas. He had not been aware • that' they - were expected to xsall at .his office.- ■ A difficulty now.'.'was that* picking had begun> so that the .growers were not .free, men, with plenty of time to. spare for; the work' of inspection. . If the Fireblight Committee struck a - lvey, as'.it .Had power to, up to .5s per acre, men.; could be paid for the work of could 'not : otherwise afford to do it. In a voluntary system the work always fell on one or two willing workers, j Mr Goodwin said" that at the meeting on Friday night, as he understood it, he had asked anybody willing to undertake the work of inspection to hand in their names. Five days had passed, until the 'Wednesday following, and not a single name had been handed in. He was not referring to_ the eleven who .'had volunteered earlier in the week. He thought that even these Understood that they were to call. In the end the pesnits had been forwarde<J» 1 and the Work 'was going on. He was still disappointed with the 'results of the" Friday meeting, at _wliich it had been : decided to telegraph - not write, for 100' permits. ' Thes» had arrived on Tuesday following.. When it - had been thought necessary, to act_in .haste, and secure so great a Jiumber of jermits, surely the lack of responsis since looked serious. * < - • « Wwk for Unemployed. The chairman said he would reiterate what he had said at that meeting. The Unemployment Board should be approached. Instead-of the men being engaged in chipping np the grass at the roadside—as -useful a digging holes and tilling--them np again—some of'them should be pet F on this work of -inspection.. He that the Association should get in touch with the Board, with' a .view $0 getting suitable men. Npw'that all the growers were busy'with pieking, it seemed almtfst impossible for; them' to 'undertake the < wor&-< To the disease .they: ohoiil([ make AnVappeal to householders' to • remove any/pear trees and hawthoraa they ! might have, and so curtail the danger of infection. It was not much of a sacrifice to dig but a pear-tree in' s baekyard," and in Che inspection he rarely across-more' than one or two.trees in such properties. Mr E., A. Stead said there 'was no possible chance of getting householders to agree to this. They valued their one or two trees just as much as the growers <Ud their orehards. In the course of inspection herhad found a. greatjdeal of silver blight, and'lie was" convinced that these trieft should; come cut. The householders .to see the iispectors and asked fbr-adviee.'-" 1 ; _ -'j r The chairman: / They 1 put '* in vegetables instead of fruit trees. , fireblight'is-to be stopped. T£ we ,wait ; -ssi ' Horticul£u*^MvJ^n,iw^W|h^t|nti names of 'the members ,of the. Committee appointed to afet in conjunction with the * Department's, offioehr in- dealing the fireblight^problem. Mr^E.^fi concerning the preliminary measures ■ aS.a°copy . 1 the secwjarjCand as it : appearea| thict ■ tlie Btops'already mads had not been |t& the right form, it was decided to remind .1%. .-previous resolutionof : the coicmittee. 1 ■ Mjr.' IV yfc .Cone' ffiVe .membars wbre- iaeeded. As ■ tlie "■ Assb'ciatioh was the principal body, concerned, he suggested that they should nominate throe members, and the* orehardists and tomato' and stone fruit-growprs each. This would obviate the fpr an 'election t|ie, ,'prescribed form,-' witfr iits ."delay,, and would enable action to : be taken more quickly. It was for the, committee .to decide the action to be taken 1 and the levy thatahonld .be made. The committee bad to v hav6 fundp, but .the difficulty was that; collection through this chanpel, as ".provided by the regulations, would be until;piiyment of! next year's o«bhard tax. It was for the . A,Bsi>ciatuinß «t0 - proyidftvmeans' of •rjaisuig; tjie - funds .-"by The chairman said that, a -point to that the Association, if it had taking the part of the" respflnsibijity,' , '"MrfFj.Wy Sisson" that the -Associatioh 'was naturally concerned in a greater, degree than the other % and J it; was' right*: that it shoiild have greater'responsibility. ,-Mr -H. Falla, president^of i the "To; Stone Fruit-Growers* A4sbci; -ation/, ssid 'that. he - Jiad' struck by the equity of Mr OpWs Suggestion. ,He, .felt tfiat all" conceded' ,sJiou , ld* cooperate. "He, agreed toi Mrj Coneys suggestion, of a perspnaLlevy.,, He" felt • that, as an l , Jiis :bqdy be, in of j the -repre'sgntatibn- saggested ( ' r . Interim-Measures ■' - ? It' was decided, to * nominate Messm . son, at-the at th« iFjreilightrcommitted, And Vt'or- jsommunicate with 'the other;bodies';concerned; 1 then -said 'that yVtWav Anp*i the committee, it' would, be' as" s well thai theyilwere'. given Association,* and asked .what < )Btepa JshOujldnbaitaKett in the meantime to deai witji inspeotioa could be Completed in a month if twelve men' were engaged ,on it, and it Would be easy if everyone took a band. The trouble ir that some of those who are much conceniedt a*, the voluntary inspefctorp- nbiv- content \ ' 1 j ft j A '

. to do nothing, leaving: it to tie enthusiasts to do the work. Mr Goodwin:lt Trill take longer than, a month. Mr Cone: The inspection, work is rather pleasant. Many small orchard? ists are eager to obtain advioe. - Mr Sisson: Three-quarters of the trees inspected are found to be infected , by silver blight,, leaf roU, ; and. codlln ' moth. steps can' the inspectors take if refused admission! !•; • *Mr Goodwin: The .only thing'is to take the <the.pera£sslon - -is.-still refused, the- person concerned is liable for obstructing, an officer in the course of his duty. Silver Bligft. ' Mr Cone moved' that' ateps Jshaold be taken 4o' hiva regulations f drawn '*op compelling the stone-fruit 4 trees infected* with silver ->bi|gfit. Hie suggested writing to tlia other?Aujoeiations of fruitgrowers asking for their support. , ' { ' -it -was stated- ijr Mr apple trees affeeted by, thtf diseais&liad. often ■ thrown it off' after' a' year.: Questioned on the 1 which !* the disease was ", sgreadj 1 saidtbat it took placed twe* ' cut 1 'OS; blown Pffi., He that !. thedestrtysfclon of th&e. sary. All 1 they required' -yns treat- ' menU . 1 ' " ri , 4 , Sir Cone agreed- to amend his mo- ' tion to read the burning 1 of any parte of the trees infected," ' and in this,form it .was carrie d.* - It 'was. derf.d«d to vrzito to the Scone 1