FIREBLIGHT CONTROL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 9 December 1938, Page 7

FIREBLIGHT CONTROL

SCATTERED CASES IN H R. NEED FOR GUARDING AGAINST INFECTION NEXT SPRING NO IMMEDIATE DANGER Although some lireblight has been reported in Hawkes Bay orchaj'ds it is the opinion of Mr Melndoe. Orchard Instructor for Hawkes Bay, that there is no cause for alarm at the present time (reports the “Telegraph”*. No serious outbreak has occurred or is expected and providing adequate precautions are taken it is considered that further trouble next Spring can be avoided. In dealing with the matter Mr Melndoe stated that a certain amount of fire blight had been reported and orchardists in those areas should take immediate steps to cut out the infected parts of the trees. Orchardists generally should also keep a sharp look-out for cases in their orchards and where they occurred should take the appropriate steps to bring it under control. Actually, the greatest danger from the present infection would be during next Spring, when, if the present trouble was not eradicated by cutting out the infected parts, a serious outbreak might be expected. This was caused by what is termed the carryover canker of the fireblight and could be avoided by the orchardists taking adequate steps at the present time and during the season to make sure that all parts of the trees which were affected i with the blight were cut out.

ENSILAGE HARVEST Farmers in North Taranaki are now j “up to their eyes” in harvesting ensil- j age (says the “Herald”). The crop is generally good but the chief trouble is that all the work has to be done by the farmer and his family with such help as can be obtained from neighbours. The demand for labour meets with no response and those men who are employed at harvesting are making quite good wages. A USEFUL PRACTICE A farm practice that pays big dividends in North Taranaki is mowing pastures wherever it is at all possible. | Where there is any quantity of uneven | grass or weeds ungrazed, the cows will | do a much better job of grazing after- ! wards, and the weeds will be better I controlled if you use your mowing machine. The earlier you do this the better, but any time during the summer is good. UNFORTUNATE FARMERS With the low prices ruling for fat sheep at the Frankton saleyards. followthe facial eczema epidemic, many farmers in the Waikato who have changed from dairy farming to sheep farming during the past few years have cause to regret this step. They bought breeding ewes at prices that represented a record level for the Waikato but, at saleyards throughout the district, ewes are now selling at from 5s to 9s lower than at the corresponding time last year, while a further drop is expected.