188 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



Not a single case of active blight should be allowed to survive the winter^ 

 not only in the oiehaid in question but also within a radius of half a mile 

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

 Siberian crab, and even the hawthorn, should be examined for this pur- 

 pose. The orchardist should make certain that the very last case had been 

 destroyed, for a few carelessly left will go a long wny toward undoing 

 the work. Extermination of the blight mav be undertaken anv time 

 during the winter, but it can undoubtedly be best done in the late summer 

 and fall, when the foliage is still on the trees and when every blighted 

 branch stands out in marked contrast with the healthy green foliage. 

 It is important to cut out blight whenever it is found during the grow- 

 ing season, but this may not be entirely satisfactory, for the reason 

 that new infections are continually taking place. No matter how 

 thoroughly one cuts out the disease in the nurser}- or young orchard in 

 Julv, a week or so later he mav find the disease as bad again from the 

 development of cases which he could not detect at the time of cutting. 

 All this is changed, how^ever, w^hen growth ceases in summer or fall. 

 During drouth in August is a very favorable time to exterminate the 

 disease. In cutting out the blight, great care should be exercised always 

 to cut on sound wood. If by any accident the knife should become con- 

 taminated b}' cutting through infected bark or tissue, it should be dis- 

 infected by washing w-ith a five per cent, solution of carbolic acid, or a 

 very dilute solution of corrosive sublimate. We prefer the former because 

 the corrosive sublimate is colorless and dangerous to have around. 



So far w'e have spoken only of the extermination of the blight from an 

 infected orchard. It is far better and easier to prevent the disease from 

 gaining a foothold. This may be done by making a thorough inspection 

 of all trees liable to this disease, two or three times during the growing 

 season. The first inspection should be made about two weeks after the 

 bloom is shed and the last in the fall just before the leaves are dropped. 

 Piy this means the first case of the disease brought by a bird or flying 

 insect will be detected and destroyed. The blighted twig, with its cluster 

 of dead leaves, stands out in strong contrast against a background of 

 green foliage. 



DISCUSSION. 



Q: I would like to inquire if Prof. Waite has e\er used spraying for 

 strawberry rust. 



Prof. Waite: I have not used it myself, but we have reports of others 

 who have used it. 



Q: What is the general effect of it? 



Prof. Waite: The thing w^as almost dropped at one time, four or five 

 years ago, but lately such favorable reports have been given that the 

 matter has come up as of importance. The past season Mr. Hale of Con- 

 necticut had some exceedingly fine beds that were largely the result of 

 spraying, while check-rows left unsprayed were badly injured. Many of 

 the varieties that leaf-blight affects so badly that they have practically 

 been abandoned or placed low on the scale of importance, could jirobably 

 be very well kept free from the disease by spraying. 



Q: Are there any bulletins in wiiich these reports are given? 



