FIREBLIGHT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5005, 26 July 1926, Page 1

FIREBLIGHT.

RAVAGES ON FRUIT TREES.

IMMEDIATE ACTION NECESSARY.

A number of interested persons flrom all parts of the district assembled at t,he privtae orchard of Mr W. J. Ellis, Hill Street, Paeroa, on Friday afternoon to hear an address on the care of ''fruit trees and the art of pruning, delivered by Mr P. Eveiet., of the horticulture division Depaitme.nt df Agriculture. Mr Everett, although only a. young man, is an earnest and forceful sneaker, and has a thorough grip of the intricacies of successful orchard culture, and piovided a very instructive and interesting couple of hours’ dectuie. fireblight. Pnoceeding to a pear tree which was affected with fireblight, Mi Everett explained that the disease was a bacterial one which was not easily discernible to thg naked eye. It was found in the flowers and bark of fruit trees/ Once a tree was attacked the disease could be readily recognised. Careful investigations had shown that pear trees were the most susceptible to the disease, while apple, hawthorn, quinces, and meddlarS) were' the only other species attacked. Fireblight had been known in the Dominion for about seven years, but unfortunatelly it looked as it it was her© to stay. The disease usually attacked pear trees during the flowering period, and began by either killing off the bunches of bilossoms or else entering the bark and slowly but surely killing the; tree. G mmonly the bacteria traversed between the bark and the wood of the tree. As the disease was carried) by insects it was difficult to eradicate. The general step to be followed was to cut back below the diseased branch and burn the;diseased portions immediately. .

If flreblight attacked the flowers, causing them to wither and die, it took ohly about two weeks for the bacteria to travel a considerable dis-' t.ance down the branch between the bark and the wood, in pear trees, but in apples and hawthorn it' travelled much slower. Twig blight was another name for fireblight. The disease was discernible’ because of branches or twigs off! trees dying, without apparent cause and the bark turning a dark brown or black colour. Fortunately, as yet there; was no fireblight in the South Is|lahd of New Zealand, but it was very common throughout the Auckland province, and a few instances had been recorded in Taranaki. The disease was, the. worst enemy pear trees; had. Although it sometimes attacked apple trees, the bacteria not infrequently travelled only a short distance apd then died out. There was one known variety of pear, the Keifer cooking pear, which was immune from fireblight.

It was desirable when cutting out diseased branches tbj disinfect the tools, a*fter each cut had been made, as the disease was highly infectious, and it could be readily carried by insects on to other trees. Careful attention to the trees, and as soon as the disease made its appearance apply immediate action by cutting off and burning the portions Effected, was the wisest policy to follow.