FIREBLIGHT RESEARCH

Evening Star, Issue 19659, 12 September 1927, Page 13

FIREBLIGHT RESEARCH

fiELSOH SUSPECT r™3r) United Pazss Association.} BLENHEIM, September 10. The Minister of Agriculture (Mr 0. J. Hawken) Ims written to Messrs Atraore (member for Nelson) and Air R. P. Hudson (member for Motueka) as follows: “ With reference to your verbal inquiry regarding suspected fireblight in the "Nelson district, I find that the present position with regard to the Agar Slope culture for suspected fireblight received from the Cawthron Institute and marked ‘X 1 ’ is as follows ; “ 1 Growth of this culture on nutrient and gelatine plates has disclosed tlie fact that there is a small percentage of a second organism included in it. As the culture was not pure it was therefore nob satisfactory for the cultural reactions that meantime had been made. “2. Such cultural reactions are, however, so close in some instances to those of fireblight bacillus as to require that ali tests shall be made with_ the two organisms side by side. This is now being done with pure cultures. “3. Inoculation tests of ‘ X 1 ’ culture into apple buds have not given positive results, whereas simultaneous inoculations with fireblight bare given positive results. “4. Organ ism* in ‘X 1’ culture do •not produce radiate colonies nor colonies that are undoubtedly typical of non-radlate fireblight colonies on nutrient sugar. “6. Efforts are being made two officers of the Horticultural Division to secure disease material similar to that collected by Dr Curtis, of the Cawthron Institute, and, tlu.uyU several speeimeiu hey'* been sout in, none hare corresponded with fireblight. It ib hoped that if the Cawthron Institute can secure any farther likely material, it will kindly send portions to the department, as it is of great advantage to see the microscopic features of fresh sections and to isolate from the actual loaion.”