FIREBLIGHT!

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 202, 15 November 1927, Page 13

FIREBLIGHT!

APPEARS AT HENDERSON A VIRULENT DISEASE The dreaded firebliyht has made its appearance in the orchards at Henderson. Portions of apple-tree wood have been submitted to Mr. J. W. Collard, who is at present visiting Auckland, and who is an authority on the subject of fireblight. He says that the specimens submitted to him are certainly affected by virulent fireblight, and there seems to be a good deal aoout in the district. Mr. Collard was formerly senior j orchard instructor in the Auckland | district. The Henderson district, which is the j centre of a big apple-growing induetry, has many hundreds of orchards. 1 and the growers would be seriously affected if fireblight took charge ef the trees. Growers are always on j the look-out for this pest, which is i the bane of their lives. The district has been quite free from i fireblight for about three years, but ! now it seems to be appearing again, j Some time ago there was a splendid | light to eradicate the disease, and a ; wholesale destruction of hawthorn j hedges and similar growths was one of the means employed. Now' that the orchardists are aware ! that the disease is again prevalent In | the district, everything possible will. |be done to clear it out. With the ; prospects of a good season ahead and the orchards in th*ur present flourish.- | ing position, a serious outbreak of ! fireblight would mean a great loss to ] the growers.