FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
09 
in order to determine, if possible, the 
comparative resistance of different va¬ 
rieties of the disease. After having ob¬ 
tained results from that portion of the 
experiment, the beds were sprayed with 
Bordeaux, four pounds of copper sul¬ 
phate, four pounds of lime to forty gal¬ 
lons of water. The first application 
was made on February 26, the second on 
March 8 and a third on March 18. By 
the time the last spraying had done its 
work the disease was completely checked 
and it was a difficult matter to find a leaf 
at all diseased in the whole patch. By 
May 14, however, it was noticed that the 
disease was making some slight head¬ 
way, and the plants were again sprayed. 
It may be thought by some that Bor¬ 
deaux mixture would be objectionable to 
the crop while fruiting, as the berries 
might be stained by its use; but on ac¬ 
count of the habit of growth of the 
strawberry I do not think the objection 
has much weight. The ripened or part¬ 
ly ripened fruit is quite well protected 
by the leaves above, and as the spray is 
directed down upon the top of the plant, 
but little of it has a chance to reach the 
fruit and I have never been able to detect 
any staining when the crop was gath¬ 
ered. It is best, however, to make the 
application just after the ripe fruit has 
been picked. It may be of interest to 
make a few notes upon the relative re¬ 
sistance of different varieties to this dis¬ 
ease. 
Cobden Queen, Lady Thompson, Mc¬ 
Kinley, Improved Newnan, West Lawn, 
Aroma and Jesse were almost entirely 
free from the disease. Cloud, Pride of 
Cumberland, Howell’s Seedling, Haver- 
land and Earliest were slightly affected, 
while Murray’s Extra Early, Mary Stu¬ 
art, Seaford, Sample, Warfield, Parker 
Earle and Tennessee Prolific were very 
badly diseased. In fact, some of them 
were almost killed opt. 
PEAR BLIGHT. 
The pear blight has been quite as 
common this year as formerly, although 
at Lake City the disease appeared to 
produce but little effect on the leaves 
and twigs. No fruit was, however, set 
on the trees, due to the destruction of 
the flowers by the blight. The pear 
blight is unfortunately very common in 
Florida. Hence it needs little or no de¬ 
scription. Shortly after the flowers 
have opened it will be noticed that the 
ovaries and pedicels have become black 
and this blackening extends to the fruit 
spur, the young leaves, and eventually 
down into the older branches. It usual¬ 
ly takes, under average weather condi¬ 
tions, about one week and a half to reach 
the branch. Throughout the whole sea¬ 
son the affected or diseased branches 
can easily be picked out. They are dead 
and the black dry leaves still remain at¬ 
tached to them. 
The cause of this well known disease 
is a bacterium known as Bacillus amylo- 
vorus, Burrill. It is a minute, rod¬ 
shaped organism, which develops within 
the tissues of the host. It is carried from 
flower to flower by honey-seeking in¬ 
sects. These gather honey from dis¬ 
eased and healthy flowers and as a cer¬ 
tain number of the germs remain attach¬ 
ed to their probosces they are carried 
from one place to another. On the oth¬ 
er hand it is doubtless probable that cer¬ 
tain of the biting insects assist in some 
measure in disseminating the disease. 
