Page 47

DISCUSSION.                           4
tfai varieties are very much addicted is, they turn red look as it they had
to the blight, and I think that we been burned,    appear jUst as  they
buw that our Russian varieties are would If in killng caterpillars you
particularly  subject to it In this applied the torch  and it flashed up
country. In Russia they do not seem  and burned the leaves.
to be, but there is a case of a variety  Mr. Kellogg-It came on last year
of trees which  are quite hardy  in In May. It doesn't often come in dry
their own country, which Is further seasons, does it?
north than this, which, when brought  Prof Taylor-In my experience It
here, have proved very weak In many seemed to me that It was much more
respects They are not very good in likely to show itself in very hot
quality, but leaving that out, one of weather, following heavy rains; when
the respects In which the trees from  there have been soaking rains and
Russia and eastern Europe are weak- everything as wet as can be, and the
eat Is in their being so extremely sub- sun comes out strong, It seemed to
ject to this fir blight.  I do not make it develop.
know that there is anything that can  Mr. Kellogg-Are there any Rus-
be said to be a cure, or to even pal- sgn varieties free from blight in this
liate it. The only thing that I know  country?
of that can be done, is to cut off and  Prof. Taylor-Well, my experience
burn all the blighted parts as fast as with Russian varieties has been so
they appear, so that there may be no  unsatisfactory that I hardly like to
spores blowing from one tree to an- speak of It I planted quite a number
other. In certain  years It is very of them when they were first brought
troublesome in the nursery, attacking to this country by the horticulturist
certain varieties of our own American of the Iowa Station, some eighteen
sorts, all the so-called Siberian crabs years ago, and those are all dead
are affected with it, and the larger from the blight or worthless in qual-
proportion of the Russian apples. As  ity. I don't know of any of them
the trees get older they seem to be which I should consider free from it,
less subject, but to answer the ques- but I wouldn't care to make a state-
tion as to whether there is any cure, ment that there were none of them
I don't know of anything, except to so because my observation is rather
cut out the affected parts as fast as limited with them.
they appear. Do you know of any-     Mr. Edwards-What time would
thing else, Mr. Kellogg?           you   recommend   trimming   apple
Mr. Kellogg-No, sir, and  I don't trees'
know that that will do It.           Prof. Taylor-The best answer I
Prof. Taylor-That is simply to cut ever heard to that question was one
down the probability  of infection, I once heard given when I was a boy,
and It kills the spores that you get by an  old gentleman.  He   said,
at, but they are produced in such im- "Whenever you have a sharp
knife."
mense quantities, that a few hundred My impression  is that when you
millions, more or less, do not cut prune, when the limbs are small, as
down the number very much.         they ought to be, any time you have
Mr. Kellogg-How can we tell the a sharp knife is the proper time to
fire blight?                       do it, but It should be done at the
Prof. Taylor-It comes along to- very earliest moment possible; that
wards the latter part of the summer is, you ought not to cut off a limb as
usually, and the leaves on the ends large as a man's arm, any more than
of the new growth begin to look as if yon would amputate a limb from an
theh bad been held over a fire; that animal, for It is just about a4 hard
m
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