The Daily times-enterprise. (Thomasville, Ga.) 1889-1925, June 04, 1889, Image 2
THE DAILY TIMES-ENTERPRISE.
JOHN TRIPLETT, - - - Editor.
S. B. BURR, - Business Manager.
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grovvirg ia the eastern flutes tor nearly | over nutil the period for infection next
a century and that is now known ii»« ccur I spring.
B VMIN KN8 XOTI( K.
I’arties leaving Thonmsvillc for the sum
mer can have the Times-Kntkrprise sent t»
any address for 50 cents per month. Ad
dresses can be changed ns often ns is desired
TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1H8£.|
Dampening Their Ardor.
/Some wag, with a knowlegc of
human Dature, perpetrated a joke on
the "bottld sojer boys” of Albany, the
other day, by sending a bogus tele
gram, as if from the sheriff of Berrien
calling, calling on them, as the near
est military company, by authority of
the governor, to come down and arrest
Jacob Young, the outlaw who had
entrenched himself with arms and
swore he would not be taken alive.
It is said that the various reasons
for not goiDg were amusing to hear,
but, after considerable effort, a corporals
guard were obtained who were willing
to face the one outlaw. Fortunately,
however, for the future prosperity of
the company, the joke leaked out.
We don’t blame the boys; they didn’t
go into the thing for war, and they
don’t want any foolishness.
|The LeConte Pear.
We publish below the report made
by Mr. M. B. Waite, the government
expert, on the disease that has attack
ed the LeConte pear tree in this sec
tion. Mr. Waite has given the matter
an exhaustive study and his conclu
sions will be read with interest by the
public. It is proper to say that the
orchard of Judge Fleming, of Baker
county, was attacked by the same dis
ease a few years ago, that it has
entirely recovered, and that it is now
in a perfectly healthy condition.
The LeConte tree is one of wonder
ful vitality and is well calculated to
overcome the inroads of disease, as
has been proven by those who have
been engaged in its culture in this
section for years. While the report
of Mr. Waite is full and intelligently
expressed, it is proper to say that our
pear growers are not very uneasy,
would be better for us, if we could say
that the LeConte pear had immunity
from disease,but as it has been demon
strated otherwise we can only say it is
not serious, and former experience
has demonstrated that fact.
In response to several letters front
pear growers and from the ohief offi
cials of the S., F. k W. Railway, stating
that au unknown disease was damaging
the LeConte pear groves of South Geor
gia and North Florida, the writer was
commissioned by the Secretary of Agri
culture to investigate the matter. Ac
cordingly the writer has been at work in
the pear groves with microscope and
scapel. Ajb far as the cause of the dis
ease is concerned satisfactory conclusions
have been reached. The information is
given through this medium in advance
of any government report on account of
the special present demand for informa
tion on this subject. Hod. Edwin Wil
letts, the able Assistant Secretary of
Agriculture, who has ebarge of the
scientific work of the department, Baid
to the writer when starting: “I desire
particularly to aid the growing industries
of the South and the West, and as you
aro going south, be sure and make your
investigations as thotough as possible.
Give all the information you can con
cerning the difficulty, and assure the
people that the Department of Agricul
ture at Washington is willing to aid
them in every nay in its power.”
I wish to thank the people where I
have been for the many favors received,
and am under special obligations to the S.,
P. A W. Railway for opportunities ot
making this investigation thorough.
THE MAI.ADY.
The diseaso which is damaging the
LeConte pear trees in South Georgia and
North Florida is the genuine i>ear blight.
It is the same obscure and destructive
i that has been the bane of pear
more or less nhirevsr the pear b gr iwn
in the Uoited States.
. WHAT IS PEAR PLIGHT
The blight in the pear tfe<> and a fen
other related fruits is a specific dist asc.
It ii the work ot a microbe In other
words, it i- due to a species of bac eria
which lives in the pour twigs and bark
as a (run parasi’e and kiils a. a result ot
its presente. The tfrms “blight,” "rust"
and “die back ’ are often used rather
vaguely to ntnu any , f the diseases or
jnjuii. s to vi-getaiion. Bit in this ease
we are d' » ] i;ie with » sp<cifie dts-ase
which is peculiar to t he pear audit- adit*.
Teis i» hy no ura r a the only di-ease of
the pear trte. YooThumen, a German
botanist, enumerated twenty-three sptci- s
of fungi that are known to occur on the
oear. Of these the greater number ar.
true parasit* s which live at the i-xpeiw
ot the t ear rod are mere or less it juriou-
to it. Of tlit—e p-ar diseases caused hy
furgt only I ur ft v- done sufficient dam
age iD the la-tim Unit'd States to at-
tract attention. IVpiritioes were 'rad
io study up the trout, e in ilie L C nte
orchards it cas- it -I ou <1 he any one of
these or somethin!: new, lit", the first
stride o' the iisr-nd tissue which was
placed under 'he me'' m"\ '■ revialod
immense nunfeisof characteristic
microbes of pesr b ull’- Abundantly
repea'ed trials a.ways cav< the same result
sod th« (Eternal charset ts «-f the dis
ease are so proiourc. d as to leave no
possible doubt.
HISTORY.
Prob-bly do disease of phots has been
more discussed and wtitteu about than
pear blight. The first positive record
of the cccurano.i of this disease is on the
Highlands of the Hudson ia 1793.
The first American book on fruit culture,
published in 1817, contains a chapter on
blight in the pear. Since that time there
has been no end of articles in horticul
tural papers, books and journals, espe
cially in recent years. All sorts of the
ories and speculations have been indulged
in by borliculturalists and fruit growers
concerning the cause of the disease.
The theories are usually as different as
the individuals in whose brains they
originated. Some attributed it to thp
work of insects, others to fretzing and
froz-n sap. Some thought it was due
to an over supply of sap, while others to
a deficiency of the same. But it was
reserved for Prof. Burrill, of the Uni
versity of Illinois to discover the real
cause of blight. This he did in 1880
Prof. Burrill’s remarkab'e discovery ot
the bacterial nature of this disease for
ever put an end to the wild speculations
and theories concerning it and practically
canceled all that had been written pre
vinusly concerning the cause of blight.
The observations of the other writers as
to mode of occurance and distribution
still remain of value. In 1883 Prof
Burrill published a name and description
for his now species of microbe. It is
now known to botanists as Micrococcus
amylouorns, Burrill. From 188-1 to
1887 Prof. Arthur, of the New York
Experiment Station c inducted a very
careful series of experiments in tbestudy
of pear blight. He fully corroborated
Prof. Burrill’s work, and discovered val
uable new facts about tbo disease. Prof.
Arthur carried out his experiments with
moro completeness thaD had beep done
before, and as a result the proof that the
tniorobes cause tl c blight is as perfeot
as any biologic il demonstration can ever
be. Still in tho light of all these dis
coveries the only remedy known is to out
out the diseased parts.
EXTERNAL APPEARANCE.
Unfortunately this is already too fa
miliar to many readers. In general the
blight may be recognized as a rather
sudden dying back of the ends of the
branches without any evident .cause.
The leaves shortly after the death of the
branches die as a natural result, and the
dead branches present about the same
appearance as limbs that arc accidentally
broken off. The freshly killed twigs
present a rather blackened or more
soggy and moister appearance
than a broken twig. Frequently
there ia a gummy exudation given off.
By far the greater number of- the points
of infection are the blossom spurs. In
neatly every instance the disease can be
traced to a blossom cluster as the start
ing point. In the greater number of
cases the fruiting spurs and tips of tho
branches arc blighted, and that is all.
In tho more severe cases it continues to
spread downward, killing the larger
branches or oven the whole tree. It fre
quently runs around a largo branch from
a diseased spur and girdles it completely.
All above this eventually dies, although
tho leaves may remain green for some
time. The disease progresses on the
main limbs only in tho inner bark and
cambium layer, this being the only vital
part. It appears on the truuk and main
limbs as dead slightly sunken patches.
The work of the previous year is told
THE MICROBE OF PEAIt BLIGHT.
The m'erube which causes pear blight
belongs fo a group of plants v.-hioh are
the smallest of all living thin -s. Further
than tbb>, it is one of the smallest of its
kind. Each individual is a nearly
sphcrial, simple, colorUss, vegetable cell.
This microbe h.-s no appendages of any
sort and no power of I, c.unnii IP. ft
spreads in the pear only by increase in
numbrrs. It i t a very e intnon error to
think that bac.eri« are animals This is
not so, for they are p'aot c-I. wilt a
coll wall of cellu'osu. Soma i h a of th
almost infinitesimal hz i of these minute
parasites ntay bn gained wluni is state ft
that it would take over tw.nry thousand
of them placed side by side to r.-t-ch an
inch, and yet these little le-iuga kill
largo pear trees. They m -k-i uo in
numbers what they lank insiz -. There
miorobes multiply at a tretneudius rate,
by division. A microbe absorbs a little
more juice from the pear tree, lengthens
out slightly and forms a constric.ioo iu
the middle. This gradually deepens
until the original cell is completely
separated into two. Thcs; lali apart,,
each one to again divide into ivo, and so
indefinitely. This process gives^hf ra a
power of multiplication which is only
limited by the food supply at band.
The miorobe lives in the liquid contcn's
of tho cells of the pear tree, appropri
ating their substance and kil iog the
tissuo as far as he penetrates. The cells
that make up the bark of a pear tree aro
nearly a hundred times larger than the
microbe cells. How tho microbes get
through the cell walls from one cell into
the next one is not yet known. It is
certain that they do get through and do
the work of destruction, and the theory
is that the baotcria secretes a ferment
which dissolves or softens a portion of
the cell wall, thus giving ao entrance.
The gummy exudation given off by
tho diseased limbs contains countless
millions of the microbes. These, with
many others from oracks in the bark, are
washed into the ground by rains. Many,
and probably the greater number, remain
in the twigs and wero found by Prof.
Arthur to be alive the next spring.
These miorobes may be made to grow in
suitable nutrient solutions outside the
tissues of tho pear tree. They grow
and multiply in great profusion in broth
from potatoes, corn meal and other
vegetable substaners. Further, it is
found that they develop in an infusion
of garden a ,il. This brings up the
question os to whether the mien,bee
multiply iu the soil iu nature. This
question is uot yet answered. It is not
known how the microbes get inside the
tree in tho spring. Thorn is scarcely
any doubt but that they get in from the
air, or at least from the eu'side. Prac
tical pear growers and tho few botanists
who havo studied this disease agree that
the common method of gaining ontranco
is through the flowers. Possibly bees
spread the discasa from ooo flower to
another, aud perhaps the vi-cid surface
of the stigma in the flowtr furnishes a
starting point. But this is theory. It
is not known just how they get a start,
but one thing is sure, when they do get
iu they make great mischief. As may
be inferred front the above, there are
two possibilities for infection. First,
from (he microbes left over from the
year before and shed out from tho dead
limbs or blown up in the dust. Scoond,
from microbes which multiplied and
increased in the soil.
PRODUCING BLIGHT ARTIFICIALLY.
By inooulating the pear blight
microbes into suitable healthy tissue-,
blight may be produced artificially. If
a freshly blighted twig be scraped with a
knife ia a small quantity of water a
great many of the miorobes will bo
washed out into the water. Tbis may
be used for a very satisfactory experi
ment which any one can try. By dip
piDg the point of a pin or a knife into
this water and thrusting it iuto a green
pear at tbis da'e, tho disease will begin
to show at the point of inoculation iu
threo days and by a week’s timo the pear
will be thoroughly full of tho blight.
The blight was also produced in part of
tho trials in the growing tips, but the
“green fruit is much more reliable on
account of the moisture it contains.
This was tried repeatedly and never
failed in case of the green fruit. The
tissues of the pear arc tho soil in which
these bacteria thrive, and putting them
in there is like planting so many seeds.
WHAT WILL KILL THEM.
Wo have iu tho above then a pretty
good test for the vitality of the microbes.
As a preparation and foundation for
future experiments for a remedy, it was
thought desirable to test the susceptibil
ity of the microbes to certain poisons
which are known to kill higher parasitic
fungi. Accordingly preparations were
made of some of tho well known fungi
cides which are used in spraying the
grape-vine for the prevention of mildew
by the dead weather beaten branches. - and black rot. The microbes were
In by far the larger number of cases of mixed up in these instead of water, and
dead twigs and branches examined as a check, one was prepared in pure
the disease had stopped progressing and ! water. This material was then used for
a crack has formed between the healthy j inoculation. Tho uninjured microbes
and diseased portions. The tree at once j readily produced tho diseaso, and part of
forms a layer of cork or bark over tho ; thoso treated to the fungicides were
heathy part, thus healing up the wound, j killed. Without going into the details
A if markable case is freqncntly seen ! of the experiments, which were conduct-
in which the disease spread in larger cd with care, it may be said that the
jatchcB on the trunk in the inner bark,
jut failed to kill the cambium layer next
tho wood. Here a new bark is seen to
bo forming underneath tho old. The
fact that the disease in nearly every in
stance has stopped progressing leads to
the belief that no moro damage will be
done (bis year. The danger seems to be
simple solution of copper sulphate killed
even when as low as i per cent, solution
was used. Bordeaux mixture (a mixture
of lime and copper sulphate solution)
and Eau Celeste (a solution of copper
below 2 per cent. The 2 per cent, solu
tion did the wotk, however. The or
ganism is thus shown to be reasonably
husc ptib e to nrc inary luneicidcs, and
the question corn s up: Can not the
tree- b: spratud wiih these fuogiciirs
in the way that grape vines aro before
the period of infection, and ftte entrance
ot' the organism prevented? Theex-
P-riment is certainly worth trying, and
it is hop'd 'hat it will be. If successful,
the trea'iner.t w. u!,i nor he expensive er
i nr.raeiieal. Un‘( r ir.a'rly one mils-
waif until n-x- s: riot: be^ote anything in
this ini- c<n be tri-d.
THE LECONTE I'EAR.
The history of the introduction and
rapid spread of this superb pear tree
is well known to most readers. The
tree is remarkable for its vigorous and
luxurious growth, its early fruiting
and wonderful productiveness, which
must be seen to bo fully appreciated.
The young pear orchards with their
vertical branches heavily clothed
with dark green foliage and the older
trees drooping under their immense
load of valuable fruit form a horti
cultural picture that js without a
rival. On its merits thousands of acres
of the best land iu South Georgia nnd
North Florida have been planted
with this pear. Although scarcely ten
per cent, have yet reached the bear
ing age it is rapidly pushing forward
as one of the first agricultural pro
ducts in this section. The tree has been
usually flic very picture of health
free front the usual pests of fruit tree:
The orchai ds have received care and
attention that is commendable. In
deed they are models of their kind.
Previous to the present outbreak the
Le Conte pear was considered to he
free from blight, and although it is a
little down at present, it seems scarce
ly probable that the disease will do
more than to damage the tree for a
few years.
AT THOMASVILLE
The blight was observed to be very
severe. Some orchards within a mile
or so of the place were only slightly
attacked aud have a fine crop of Iruit;
others have nearly every fruiting spur
killed. Many of the trees in the gar
dens about the town are badly af
fected, so that they have scarcely any
fruit. But few trees at this place are
killed, and rarely is a large branch
affected. The disease here is mostly
confine i to the tips of the branches
and the fruit spurs, some trees show
ing two or three hundred distinct
points of infection. As to the general
result, a prominent shipper of pears
ftom this point gave it as his opinion
that there was a good half a crop in
this vicinity. If the disease should
not continue next year the trees will
recover and do permanent injury will
result.
AT BOSTON, GA
Here the blight was the most severe
yet seen. Most all the old trees near
town aro dead or nearly so. The
blight Bprcad doavmvard, attacking
tho largo limbs and trunks, either
killing the trees entirely or perma
nently injuring it. Here, as elsewhere,
the youug orchards are almost en
tirely free from blight, although, as
an exceptional case, a half dozen cases
of the disease were seen in the nursery
rows. There is very little fruit here
except on the young trees just coming
into bearing.
AT CAMILLA.
Here the blight was also very severe.
The disease behaved the same as it did
at Boston, killing the large hranohes,
and frequently tho whole tree.
AT QUITMAN.
This point seems to be on the outer
edge of the affected area, only a few
scattered twigs of genuino pear blight
were 6ecn.
AT MONTICELLO, FLA.
There is very little blight at this
place. No damage done, but just enough
blight to say that tho disease has reach
ed that point.
AT TALLAHASSEE.
During the few hours spent in search
ing for the disease around this place, it
was not found. A few diseased limbs
were shown me, bat no genuine pear
blight. However, I am informed that
at Live Oak, Madison and other points
in middle Florida tho disease has dono
considerable damage.
BLIGHT IN OTHER FRUITS.
Precisely the same disease—microbes
and all—occurs in the quinec, tho apple,
the Siberian crab apple and in the wild
May Haw. These plants all belong to
tho natural order—Rosacea:—and aro
near allies of the pear. I havo not yet
found tho miorobes in tho plum, nor
any other stone fruit, although somo
dead twigs of the plum were examined
which looked a little like blight. They
doubtless died from some other cause.
Tho disease occurs in all the varieties ot
pear; some years it is worse in some vari
eties and some years in another. Where
tho Kit tier stood near diseased LcContes
it was muoh less affected than they were.
On tho other hand Bartlett and Howell
in tho same position socmcd to be worso
fleeted.
OTHER FEAR DISEASES.
While visiting the pear orchards iu
the study of blight auother disease
was frequently observed, and I avas
informed that it had done considera
ble damage to some trees in past yenrs.
it is known as the leaf spot disease.
It may he recognized by small circu
lar brown spots scattered over the
leaves. The same thing ou the fruit
p. m., Wednesday will be returned
Saturday morning. All work guaran-
- t . , v ., 9 . teed as good as new. Sam M. Wolff,
of Sulpnurct of Potassium failed to kill | inch in diameter, each one being tho j Agent, iog and in Broad St.
sulphate and ammonia) of tho usual | causes a scabby .nasty appearance,
strength, killed the microbes. Solutions j The spots are scarcely an eighth of an
C Q n 1 Mfrtt aP XI a! A AM *11*1 Pa .1 a J L A 1— tit I t _ 7 _ J.11. - ■ .A . _ L .... 1 . • j 1
growth from a single spore. Wliou a
leaf lui3 very many of these spots ou
it it turns yellow and falls off. In
this way many trees ntay be entirely
defoliated hy the end of June. These
leaf spots are the work of a small par
asitic fungus. Ititmuch larger and
higher up in the scale than the mi
crobe, but it is still very minute and
not unlike tbis smaller being in its
physiological action. That is, it is a
destroyer of vegetation.
At Boston four trees were seen suf
fering and about to die from a disease
known as “root rot.” The top of the
tree presented a sickly yellow appear
ance, alike all over with no local dif
ficulties. In such a tree the cause of
the trouble is usually to be found
in tho roots. Upon digging most of
the roots were found to be killed bv a
fungus which had extended its del
icate net work of avhite mould-like
threads over and through them.
TREATMENT.
There is no satisfactory remedy
known for pear blight, The disease is
purely local, killing ns far ns it goes,
but leaving all below it healthy. The
method pursued by the growers of the
North has been to cut out the diseased
limbs below the dead part. This does
very well where there are only a few
dene branches, but where blight is
scattered over a tree at a hundred
different points it is scarcely possible
to do this. In young orchards and
those slightly affected this should he
vigorouly carried out. As far as pos
sible, in all eases, it is advised to cut
out nnd burn all diseased lirnbB. Be
careful to burn up evory limb, for, by
so doing, you destroy the millions of
microbes contained in them, and les
sen the chance tor infection next sea
son.
It seems to be the general experi
ence ot the pear growers of this region,
as it has also been in other states, that
the heavily manured and over-stimu
luted orchards are damaged more by
the blight than others. It is there
fore deemed advisable to use ferti
lizers with moderation. Only enough
to keep up a moderately thrifty growth
No doubt much is to be learned
as to the best fertilizer for
this tree. With our present knowledge
of pear blight the above treatment is
all that can be done.
After the microbes get started in a
branen there is no hopes of anything
ever being found to reach them beside
cutting out. It seems probable, how
ever, that some of the best fungicides
may be sprayed on the pear trees be
fore the period of infection in such a
way as to kill the microbes when they
fall upon it and thus protect the tree.
There is little hope of any remedy be
ing found except a preventive one.
In the short period that has elapsed
since the true oature of this disease
was understood no experiments with
preventive remedies have been tried
It is hoped to determine what the pos
sibilities are in this line by experiment
next spring. It is unfortunate
that the nature of the case
makes so long a delay necessary. This
experiment, if successful, would be of
benefit not only to the people in
this region, but to the pear growers of
the whole country.
THE OUTLOOK.
How much is this thing going to
amount to? Is the question frequently
asked. Of course no one can say defi
nitely. In other parts of the country
whero pear blight done damage it has
been muoh worse during certain years
than others. Like other plant diseases
duo to fuugi it is usually bad for two or
three years and then begins to disappear,
perhaps to gain increase after a term of
years. There, has been so called periods
of epidemic of pear blight which passed
over. Certain orchards are always moro
or less uninjured. It seems reasonable
to suppose then that the present out
break will not do more at the most than
damage the LeConte pear groves. Thero
aro thousands of uninjured orchards and
still greater numbers of youDg orohards
not ready to bear. Are these all to be
severely handled before tho disease takos
the downward tread ?
There is still good grounds for hopo
for tho pear growers in two lines. First,
that the disease will run its course and
diminish in severity. Second, that
something may be found which will pre
vent infection of tho trees and by proper
attention pears may be aucccssfully
grown even if the blight should contin
ue. The pear growers may rest assured
that if botanieal science can do anything
towards oarrying out the second line, no
effort will bo spared to aceomplish it.
M. B. Waite,
Department of Agriculture.
Washington, D. C.
MUSQUITO BARS.
Of all kinds. A good bar complete for
$1.75. Patent bcadsteud attachments.
Agent for Armstrong's palont canopies,
mudo In walnut, chorrv and untiquo oak.
Geo. W.FonnEs,
May 17 If. Masury Building.
Will tuko contracts for wall papering,
Can furnish rcllab c man and guarantee
work. Geo, W. Forres,
Masury Building.
Wallpaper at Ip x prices, select pat-
erne, Geo. W. Forbes,
Masury Building
laundry.
Collars 2c.; cuffs 4c. per pair; shirts
qc. Work received up to 2:30 o’clock
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