THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



433 



PEAR BLIGHT CONTROL IN LAKE COUNTY. 



By Fred G. Stokes, County Horticultural Commissioner, Kelseyville, Cal. 



Thanks to the vigilance and fighting spirit of the Lake County pear men the 

 blight, though somewhat spasmodically with us here and there for the past eight 

 years, has not yet put one orchard out of commission nor retarded the planting out 



of Bartlett pears. The last two years have been bad 

 ones for blight, throughout this state, and also Oregon, 

 but Lake County is courageously planting out more 

 pruis yearly, ill 1017 putting out over 40,000, an 

 increase of 10,000 above the previous season. Some 

 orchards have hardly been affected at all and others, 

 having a bad attack one season, have for years been 

 practically free from reinfestation. For instance, 

 eight years ago Mr. L. Sailor's 12}-acre Bartlett 

 orchard, in Seotts Valley, had a severe attack, and 

 though he put up a good light by the cutting-out 

 method, yel he lest or cut to the ground some 200 

 Hers. The next year the infection was light and for 

 the past five years he has had no tree loss and prac- 

 tically no blight fight. This season the crop from 

 this orchard was 120 tons. It was sold at $36 a ton 

 to a local dry yard. 



We have come to the conclusion that to successfully 

 control blight the apple orchards must be attended to 

 as well as the pears. All sources of carry-over and 

 infection must be carefully sought and suppressed. 

 An odd, blighted Spitzenberg or other apple tree, left here and there neglected, is a 

 menace to the pear industry. With such trees around the pear grower has a perma- 

 nent yearly blight fight on his hands. Many trees are unprofitable anyway, and in 

 such cases should either be dehorned and grafted to a variety less susceptible to 

 blight or dynamited out. Last year we made a "dead set" at such trees and 

 generally received the hearty support of the owners. In this county there is good 

 money in the Bartlett and very little, comparatively, in the apple. Most people 

 realize this and even if not, commercial orchardists are willing to attend to such 

 trees pro bono publico. In cases of ignorance or carelessness we serve notice, and 

 if they do not get busy within a reasonable time, do the work for them, the same 

 becoming a lien on their property. 



Fortunately the Lake County pear growers are keen on protecting their orchards 

 and the majority being familiar with the malignant nature of this bacterial disease, 

 need little coercion in immediately getting busy as soon as the first blight cases 

 appear. Though cutting out the diseased twigs and limbs well below visible sign 

 of infection and keeping tools, /'. e., shears, saw and bark scraper, disinfected after 

 each cut, with corrosive sublimate (1-1.O0O) sounds easy, it takes practice and experi- 

 ence to do good work and every season one gets better results. It pays to be posted 

 on the latest methods and to keep in touch with the State Horticultural Commission 

 and the University of California. From time to time valuable advice has been given 

 by Prof. R. E. Smith, who has visited our county, noting our blight work 

 and advising on other knotty problems. I'rof. S. S. Rogers of the State Farm at 

 Davis came likewise on the same errand and gave some valuable tips about bark 

 scraping, etc. A county horticultural commissioner always learns something from 

 such men, and in many ways during my three years of service I have found the 

 University of California invaluable. In the same category the State Commission 

 of Horticulture, the clearing house for all our problems, has continually advised and 

 guided. The visits of State Horticultural Commissioner G. H. Hecke and Chief 

 Deputy G. P. Weldon stimulate and tone our action. 



For the past two seasons, accompanied by leading Lake County pear growers, I 

 have visited the orchards of such blight fighters as Messrs. Heyward Reed and E. A. 

 (iammon near Sacramento, and accompanied by that indefatigable pear expert, 

 G. P. Weldon, have found such visits profitable and well worth while to any pear 

 grower who wishes to be up to date on blight fighting. Our trips have been made 

 when they commence pear picking, this year July 7. and it is with great satisfaction 



