"TOUCHED" FRUIT.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 February 1917, Page 6

"TOUCHED" FRUIT.

PREVALENCE OF RIPE ROT. The prevalence of brown or ripe rot (Monilia fructigena) in the plums, peaches and nectarines coming from the Hawke's Bay and Auckland districts, has had a marked effect on thc'~quality of much of the fruit sold in Taranaki, which is largely dependent on Auckland and Hawke's Bay for its supply. The disease was particularly prevalent eariy in the season, when largo quantities of fruit were destroyed. An improvement has been in evidence latelv, although the supplies have been greatly diminished in consequence of the disease. From the grower to the consumer, all have suffered from its ravages. Fruitgrowers have been heavy losers, as their stored fruit has to be rigorously culled every day to enable them to supply their customers with nothing but the sound article.

One Taranaki farmer, who grows fruit as a side-line, lost almost all his crop. Sound fruit becomes rotten with remarkable ranidity. A local resident recently bought a case of peaches, paying 10s for it. He saw on purchasing that the contents were apparently soimd. On examining; the fruit" next nion.inct, he was dismayed to find that almost tho\ whole case was bad. In fact, only a dozer, peaches were saved. So seriously has the disease affected some orchards that growers have destroyed large numbers of trees in order to check its spread.

The following description and method o: control will, no doubt, help those who arc in the dark with regard to the disease. One or more brownish spots appear, and these gradually increase in size until they meet, and'the fruit collapses and becomes covered with a greyish or olive-green mould. In the Orel ia ,* the fruit, thus attacked ofren remains hanging to the tree and assists in carrying over the disease by means of spores, which mature in the spring, and should the conditions be favorable, attack the young twigs, leaves and developing fruit. Any person, either an orcluirdist or a grower of a single stonefi nil tree, should do his utmost to fight I his trouble, and get to work at once by cutting out all the dead branches and hurtling them. It is a simple and effective help towards successful control, and at this time of the year is easier than if left until the dormant season, as such diseased branches may be quickly distinguished from the healthy ones, owing to lack of foliage. All diseased fruit should be picked off the tree and off the ground, juul burned. Later on, when the leaves fall, as many as possible should be raked up and burned, flnd the trees sprayed with Milestone (Hb to I!) gallons of water) 1 , and again

r.s the buds begin to swell with Bordeaux mixture (filb Milestone, 41b Roche lime, to 50 gallons of water). The apple aUo suffers from a disease very similar in appearance and effect to the one attacking stone fruits, hut it is in reality quite different, and is known by the name oi bitter rot (Glomerclla rufo niaciilniis). Spores are produced and carried over from season to season on diseased fruit and dead branches, and the same method of control should he practiced as for ripe rot. .In picking apple; for the market great care should be taken not to brei=e the fruit, as the disease finds easy access into such damaged patches, rapidly develops, and a year's care and toil will not cheek its course.