THE SIDE HILL ORCHARD. 193 



conditions which are conducive to a vigorous growth of the tree are 

 also conductive to rapid spreading of the blight. 



The germs are killed in many of the branches during the winter, 

 but in some they remain alive and become active again in the spring. 

 These so-called holdover cankers are the source of new infection. 

 Often on such cankers drops of milky liquid are exuded and sometimes 

 there is so much exudate that it runs down the trunk. The liquid 

 contains countless numbers of the bacteria, insects are attracted to it 

 and thus carry it to other trees. 



The only practicable method of eradicating the blight from an 

 orchard is by cutting away all blighted wood. 



This is most conveniently done in late summer or fall after the 

 season's growth is over. At this time the blighted portions are quite 

 easily detected. Every bit of blighted wood should be cut out, even 

 if it necessitates the sacrifice of the whole tree. The branches should 

 always be taken off some distance back from the clearly diseased 

 parts in order to insure cutting out all the infected wood. In the 

 spring the orchard should be carefully examined and any limbs which 

 may have been missed in the fall should be removed. During the 

 summer frequent inspections should be made and the blight cut out 

 whenever it appears. Since the disease is contagious the pruning 

 knife should be disinfected after every limb is cut. Corrosive sublimate 

 dissolved in water at the rate of one part to one thousand parts of 

 water is best for this purpose. A cloth soaked in the solution may 

 be used to swab the pruning instrument, or it may be dipped directly 

 into the solution. 



The wild crabapple, thornapple, Juneberry or service berry, and 

 the mountain ash, may be affected with the same disease. These 

 should, therefore, be treated the same as apple trees. 



Co-operation is absolutely necessary. Cutting the blight out of 

 one orchard when a neighboring one is still affected, will do little good. 

 Orchardists should recognize the true nature of the disease and make 

 every effort to exterminate it. 



THE SIDE HILL ORCHARD. . 



H. LT. Beebe, Superintendent at Jewell Nurseries, Lake City, >Iinn. 



The State of Minnesota has many northern slopes, most of them are 

 underlaid with rock having many fissures that insure a perfect drain- 

 age. Many of these slopes are not available for grain crops and can- 

 not be plowed. 



Much of this land is covered with trees; the wood will pay for 

 the cost of clearing and when cleared the owner cannot determine 

 what to plant until someone suggests apples. Immediately the question 

 arises, — how to prepare the land with least cost and greatest benefit 

 to the crop to be planted. 



This brings me to the main reason for writing this paper. Our 

 secretary believing my experience for the past thirteen years with 



