BLADDER PLUMS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20587, 28 November 1936, Page 15 (Supplement)

BLADDER PLUMS

The disease which causes this misformation attacks leaves, fruit, flowers, and shoots, but is most noticeable on the fruits about three weeks after blossoming, when these become greatly enlarged and in time fall to the ground. They are spongy in texture, and when cut open are seen to be quite hollow, the stone and ovule not being developed. The leaves become infected soon after they unfold from the bud, and resembling peaches infected with leaf curl. They, too, after a time, change to brown and fall to the ground. Shoots which are attacked appear lighter in colour and much swollen.

It is probable that extensive infection, especially fruit infection, is due to perennial mycelium situated in the shoots. This belief appears to be strengthened by the difficulty of control. for it must be admitted that more than 75 per cent of clean fruit cannot be obtained by spraying. For control, spray 5-4-50 Bordeaux mixture or 1-15 lime sulphur when the buds begin to swell but before they open. This application should be supplemented by cutting out the infected shoots. This could be practised any time during the growing season, as the disease would be conspicuous, and consequently easily located. Paint over all wounded surfaces with coal tar as soon as they are made, using a stiff brush.

THE PEAR The pear, Pyrus communis, is a native of Britain and the temperate parts of Europe and Asia, and consequently is perfectly hardy in New Zealand: Though nothing like as popular as the apple, it is fairly extensively planted in private gardens, and it is so ornamental when in flower in the spring that it can be planted in the shrubbery or flower garden as a specimen. When left practically unpruned it grows into a small, shapely tree, but it can be kept within bounds by pruning just as easily as the apple. The pear is budded or grafted on either the pear or the quince stock, the former being the better for specimen trees which can be allowed to develop freely, and the latter, which has a dwarfing tendency, for those which are to be kept pruned either as cerdons or bushes. The fruit is borne on spurs produced on the old wood, and consequently the direction given for pruning apples will also apply to the pear. At one time it used to be said that “he who plants pears plants for his heirs,” but this does not apply now, for by using the dwarfing stock pears develop their fruiting spurs quite early, and once they start they continue. After pruning and light digging or forking a mulch of farmyard manure can be applied, unless the plants are making too much wood, when a dressing of basic superphosphate or basic slag can be applied and hoed in. By making a wise selection it is possible to have pears for a reasonably long season, and varieties to plant are Williams's Bon Chretien, Jargonella, Louis Bonne or Jersey Beuree Diel, Glou Morceau, Winter Cole, and Winter Nelis.