APPENDIX. 415 



except in cases where it is thought that the blight will eventually get be- 

 jond control of the orchard. Under the head of cultural methods which 

 favor or hinder pear blight, as the case may be, the most important are 

 pruning, fertilizing, cultivation and irrigation; but details in regard to 

 these need not be given here, as the main reliance must be placed in the 

 only really satisfactory method of controlling the disease : that is the ex- 

 termination of the microbes which cause it. Every particle of blight should 

 be cut out and burned while the trees are dormant, not a single active case 

 being allowed to survive the winter in the orchard or within half a mile or 

 so from it. Every tree of the pome family, including the apple, pear, quince, 

 Siberian crab apple, wild crab apple, the mountain ash, service berry, and 

 iill the species of Crataegus, or hawthornes. should be examined for this pur- 

 pose, the blight being the same in all. 



Cutting out blight — The orchardist should not stop short of absolute de- 

 :struction of every case, for a few overlooked may go a long way toward un- 

 •doing all his work. Cutting out the blight may be done at any time in the 

 winter or spring up to the period when growth begins. The best time, 

 however, is undoubtedly in the fall, when the foliage is still on the trees, 

 and the contrast between that on the blighted and that on the healthy is so 

 great that it is an easy matter to lind all the blight. It is important to cut 

 out blight whenever it is found, even in the growing season. At that time 

 of year, however, it cannot be hoped to make much headway against the 

 disease, as new cases constantly occur which are sufficiently developed to be 

 ;seen when the cutting is done. In orchards where there are only a few 

 trees and the owner has sufficient time to go over them daily, he will be able 

 to save some which would otherwise be lost. However, when the trees stop 

 forming new wood, the campaign should begin in earnest. 



Examinntionfi for blight — Of course, the greater part of the blight can be 

 taken out the first time the trees are gone over. If this should be in mid- 

 summer, the trees should be all again carefully inspected in the autumn, 

 ust before the leaves shed, so as to get every case that can be seen at that 

 time. After this a careful watch should be kept on the trees, and at least 

 one more careful inspection given in the spring before the blossoms open. 

 It would, doubtless, be well to look the trees over several times during the 

 winter, to be certain that the blight is completely exterminated. In order 

 to do the inspecting thoroughly it is necessary to go from tree to tree down 

 the row, or, in the case of large trees, to walk up one side of the row and 

 down the other, as in simply walking through the orchard it is impossible 

 to be certain that every case of blight has been cut out. 



The above line of treatment will be even more efficacious in keeping un- 

 affected orchards free from the blight. A careful inspection of all pomace- 

 ous ti-ees should be made two or three times during the summer, and a 

 sharp outlook kept for the first appearance of the blight. It usually takes 

 two or three years for the disease in an orchard to develop into a serious 

 epidemic, but the early removal of the first cases will prevent this and save 

 ■Sb great deal of labor later and many valuable trees. 



