FIREBLIGHT

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 213, 23 August 1927, Page 7

FIREBLIGHT

WARNING TO NELSON ORCHARDISTS. Nelson, August 22. From time to time during the last six years, cuttings from apple and pear trees suspected of being affected with fireblight have been sent to the Oawthron Institute bv Nelson orchardists. and have been examined by Dr. Curtis. In even 7 case thev have been found to be free from the disease, stated the director of the Oawthron Institute (Professor Easterfield) to-day

Attention was recently drawn to the suspicious appearance of a diseased branch cut from a pear tree in the neighbourhood of Nelson. The branch exhibited all the symptoms of typical fire-light. and a culture of the organism isolated from the branch conforms in all structural characteristics with those of th© organism responsible for fireblight It is therefore highly probable that this is an actual case of fireblight.

Samples of these cultures are being sent to the Director of Horticulture for comparison with standard fireblight cultures. . ft is maintained in Wellington by the Department of Agriculture that such cultures have not been kept at the Oawthron Institute, as the director of the institute has always refused to have any fireblight material brought from the North Island in view of the Possibility of the introduction of the disease in this manner into the Nelson district.

Orcharilists are asked to examine most thoroughly all pear, apple and quince trees, but particularly near trees. “Lt is obvious that all hawthorn hedges should be patrolled, arid that so far as possible, they should he prevented from flowering.” couffiudedt th» director..