THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
139 
WANTED BACK NUMBERS OF NATIONAL NURSERY¬ 
MAN. 
A subscriber wishes to complete his file of the National 
Nurseryman and would like the following numbers. 
1897, Vol. 5, Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10. 
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Address: “Missing Numbers ,” 
National Nurseryman, 
Ithaca, N. Y. 
APPLE BLIGHT. 
A DANGEROUS DISEASE. 
This is an old enemy of the apple. It is peculiar to America and in 
Europe is called “The American Apple Blight.” There is no part of 
the country fully exempt although it may be regarded as the special 
scourge of the middle west. In all these regions where the growing 
season is short and the rate of growth rapid, there “apple blight,” 
“fire blight,” “twig blight,” as it is variously designated, flourishes. 
The general appearance of the tree when affected by this disease is 
too well known to need description. At the present time many or¬ 
chards in the middle west look as if they had been scorched by fire. 
The tips of the branches have withered and turned brown. Not only 
are the twigs attacked but the blossoms in severe cases are also injured. 
There appear to be several types of the disease. On some varieties 
like the Greening for instance, it is largely confined to the twigs and 
spurs. On others it attacks the bark of the main branches and some¬ 
times of the stem. In cases of this kind the entrance is made through 
the tufts of leaves produced by little spurs. When the spur type of 
blight occurs it is not at all unlikely that it may be the cause of so called 
“ body and branch cankers.” 
One of the characteristics of the disease is the rapidity with which 
it works. Sometimes it would appear that trees are stricken over 
night, hence the name fire blight. 
CAUSE. 
Many years ago Professor Burrill of Illinois discovered that this 
was due to a member of the great group of bacteria, some of which are 
useful but many injurious. This bacterium propagates and lives in 
the sap of the tree. It is possible that it may permeate the entire wood 
of the tree. This question, however, is not fully settled. Certain 
it is that the tree which grows most rapidly is, as a rule, the one most 
viciously attacked. Slow-growing varieties are more exempt than 
those of a very rapid growth. It thus appears that orchards under 
high cultivation, making rapid growth, are subject to the disease to 
a greater extent than those in sod, or under poor systems of tillage. 
HOW IT SPREADS. 
Germ diseases are often carried by insects and this has proved to 
be no exception to that rule. Insects may transport the germ from 
tree to tree in visiting blossoms and are probably responsible in a large 
measure for the type of disease which destroys the blossom and young 
fruit. 
• REMEDY. 
The bacterial forms of disease attacking plants are the most difficult 
to control. Oncerin the tissues of the host external applications are of 
practically no avail. The disease, as stated above, works most rapidly 
during the growing period. At this time it is next to impossible to 
keep all parts of the tree protected with any fungicidal preparation 
because the shoots are pushing out from day to day. 
The one preventive which has been recommended and is being 
used is that embodied in what we might call good, sanitary measures. 
The diseased parts should be cut off, removed and burned without delay. 
Some growers are of the opinion that this does very little good, but 
at any rate it seems to be the most reasonable and sensible thing to 
do. The more disease germs are about the more likely a given malady 
will spread, so it should be with apple blight. We have neglected thus 
far to say that this disease is, if not identical, so closely allied to pear 
blight that they are indistinguishable except perhaps to the mycologist. 
No one should be so negligent or careless as to leave large blighted 
branches in the orchard and trees that are severely affected should be 
removed root and branch. L C. 
Note and Comment. 
THE MANUFACTURE OF CIDER. 
It is a curious thing that commercial orcharding for the specific 
purpose of growing apples to eat is a comparatively recent industry. 
While apples have been grown for ages and in considerable quantities 
in various parts of the world, yet so far as we can learn from pomo- 
logical history, the first object of the grower was to get enough fruit 
to make cider or vinegar, and we learn from early New England records 
that some of the Massachusetts villages produced many hundreds of 
hogsheads of cider. In those days cider making was a part of the 
economy of every household. In these days cider making is a special¬ 
ized industry, and is a trade process. It is made in a cider factory, 
and, except in the older portions of'New England, the cider press is an 
unknown device around the farm-house. 
The manufacture of cider is receiving considerable attention at the 
hands of the Bureau of Chemistry of the Department of Agriculture 
at Washington, and some efforts are now being made, whereby pure 
cider cultures are prepared and distributed to those who are in the 
business. This is in line with the work of the viticultural department, 
where pure cultures of wine musts are developed. This is practically 
what the dairy divisions of the experimental stations are doing, in the 
preparation of the various agents which bring special flavors to butter 
and cheese. There is unquestionalby an opening for good brands of 
cider, and the principal point of interest from the consumer’s stand¬ 
point, lies in the ease with which he can secure specific and uniform 
types. It is hoped that this initial work of the Department at Wash¬ 
ington will result in permanently improving the cider industry of the 
country. 
PRESIDENT ALBERTSON IN TEXAS. 
Since the West Baden meeting our new president has been moving 
at a lively pace. He attended the meeting of the Western Freight 
Classification Committee in Michigan, then made a tour of Texas in 
the interests of the association in general and the 1906 meeting in 
particular. Of this he writes that “My trip to Texas was most en¬ 
joyable and our friends in that section appear to be getting their 
arrangements for the next meeting well under way. The various com¬ 
mittees appointed will undoubtedly handle things in first rate shape 
and I am looking forward to a successful meeting and an enjoyable 
time.” 
Following the Texas trip, and after a few days at home, Mr. Albertson 
attended the meeting of the Southern Nurserymen’s Association at 
Norfolk, Va. A report of this meeting appears in another column. 
Maryland supplied New York with peaches during the fore part of 
August. The crop was of fair quality and sufficient to meet the de¬ 
mands of the trade. 
Duchess apples from Western New York began to find their way into 
market during the first week of August. They sold in Buffalo at from 
twenty-five to thrity-five cents per third bushel peach basket. The 
Duchess is growing in popularity in Niagara County. 
Grape rot of the Downy mildew type has been a destructive agent 
in the Michigan vineyards. Black rot has done more damage in New 
York than the mildew. Vineyards on Seneca and Keuka Lakes have 
suffered heavily. 
One of the most vicious acts we have ever heard of was the placing 
in the nursery of Mr. J. Woodward Manning, of Reading, Massachusetts, 
a tomato can containing gipsy moths. This was done by some ma¬ 
licious individual for the set purpose of injuring Mr. Manning by 
destroying his stock. A reward has been offered for the detection of 
the contempt able scoundrel. 
—Enclosed find one dollar for which please renew my subscription 
to National Nurserymen. Your paper is indispensable to the 
nurseryman. M. J. Graham. 
—The National Nurseryman is a valuable paper, enclosed please 
find SI.00. Yours for success. L. J. Redding. 
