THE POTASH REMEDY FOR THE APPLE BLIGHT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1984, 7 May 1885, Page 2

THE POTASH REMEDY FOR THE APPLE BLIGHT.

♦ ••'■ We have been requested to republish this extract from a letter in the Melbourne Leader:— A Alkalies in various forms mm been used by gardeners for the destruction of insect-life, for a century past. Potash for the cure of woolly: blight (Aphis Limgera) caused a wordy :war between two claimants for priority, in its use and beßt_ modes ; of Messrs Williamson and Stephenson have entered tho lists, and woe to any'one who should step between them. It is not with this object that I write to you on the matter. I read your, account of Mr Williamson's treatment of his apple-trees, and, having considerable trouble with the aphis, I made up a compositionand applied it the .following winter (1876). Knowing ,?*. value of lime for application to the rooti of trees badly affected, I added it to tEI composition, and the principal ingredients used weTe potash and lime, a little sulphur, and olive oil. The., surface-roots were laid bare, and the compound freely spread over them. A lot of.French crabs (about 150 trees) were in previous years a source of expense, as the.produce in fruit .did hot pay for the labour of trying to eradicate the blights; these hfe not since been dressed ''with .any Wghtdestroying compound. Other varieties of apples were similarly treated, .and there has been no need to dress them since. I now observe the blight is'reappearing, but not to any appreciable degree: no doubt, the remedy will require'to be again .applied.' The trees can be'inspected at Sunbury, and the old warty, knots seen which were formerly, the home of the aphis, arenowshowing again mafewspots. The treatment supersedes- the'old paintings and daubings with Gishnrst, train oil,, kerosene, and other greasy messes, which only partly effected" the end in view. Ido not go so far as to assert that the potash mixture will give thorough immunity to the apple-tree- from tha attacks of blight, because' in the lapse I years, what with absorption by the roots of tho tree, and due allowance being made for the dispersion and dissipation, by wind and rain, not enough may be left within reach of the roots to influence the blight-resisting nature of the sap: a repetition of the mixture would Wiecessavy. . A$ Yours, Ac, CMay.