FIRE BLIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 January 1922, Page 7

FIRE BLIGHT.

THE OUTBREAK AT FATEA. AN OFFICIAL REPORT. A serious disease was reported a short time ago to be affecting apple and pear trees in the orchard of Mr. Fairweather, of Patea. This trouble was at first held to be the result of salt sprays, but later indications suggested fire blight. Specimens of affected wood were forwarded to the biological laboratory, Department of Agriculture, Wellington, for investigation. The biologist’s report, which has just been issued, unfortunately confirms the latter suspicion. In consequence of this Mr. J. A. Campbell, Director of the Horticulture Division, Mr. R. Waters, plant pathologist, and Mr. N. J. Adamson, local orchard instructor, are at present in the Patea district for the purpose of carrying out further investigations. The appearance of fire blight in this district is of very considerable importance; not so much from the point of view of the direct effect it may have on fruit production, as Taranaki is essentially a dairying and not a fruitgrowing area, but from the point of view of this being the first of the disease outside the Auckland province. These officers are making a preliminary -survey of the affected area, a complete survey of which will be, until completed, •carried on under the supervision of Mr. Adamson. In the meantime, 'the indications suggest that the disease is considerably more widespread than was at first anticipated. As the ' disease known as fire blight is a most serious one, the spread of which would materially affect the prospects of fruitgrowing in the Dominion, the department is desirous of seeking the assistance of all fruit tree owners in connection with the investigation it is now making. This assistance can be best afforded by owners of fruit trees immediately reporting all suspicious cases of dead or dying leaves, twigs, or branches, of apple and pear trees, which may come under their notice, such reports to be forwarded to the orchard instructor, Post office, Patea. Specimens of the disease should not be sent out of the district, but should also be sent to the orchard instructor at the above address. All specimens of the disease for investigation should be similarly addressed.

In this latter connection a word of warning is necessary, namely: On no account should specimens of the disease be sent out of the affected area. This latter precaution is essential, as it may reasonably provide a ready means of spreading the disease farther afield, and one which, by the way, may account for its appearance in Patea. As the period during which the rapid spread of fire blight invariably takes place, is over, for the season, and as the method of treatment will be largely dependent on the distribution of the disease revealed by the survey previously referred to, advice in this direction will be deferred for the present, but full information as to treatment wilj be made available through the Press and otherwise, at a later date.