BIG FRUIT SEASON AHEAD

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18204, 27 September 1933, Page 12

BIG FRUIT SEASON AHEAD

! FIREBLIGHT PRECAUTIONS I ~ IMMEDIATE ACTION URGED Gisborne orchards should produce a big crop of apples and pears during the coming season, but tireblight is a menace against which all precautions must be taken. These points were mentioned by Mr. P. Everett, orchard instructor at Gisborne, when talking with a reporter today. He said that those with apple and pear trees, particularly the latter, should inspect their trees thoroughly to make certain that no dead branches remain, as such dead branches might have been killed by firebliglit last season, and if so would be a source of infection for the coming season. These branches should he cut out at least a foot below the dead part to make certain that tin 1 disease has been removed completely, and then the branch should be burned. As tireblight usually becomes active during the blossoming period, which has commenced, there was need lor immediate action.

So far, the district has been fortunate since the appearance of the disease here four years ago. While outbreaks had occurred in the district each season since, it had not caused serious damage, but should conditions prove favorable for its spread it might readily cause serious losses in apple and pear orchards. One instance of how serious the disease might' become was demonstrated at Wairoa the. season before last, when 7b per cent, ol the entire crop was lost as a result of blossom infection.