Question: I’m losing one limb of my apple tree. It has turned almost black, and it’s done it almost overnight. What disease does that?

Answer: Fire blight. It’s a bacterial disease that is specific to the rose family of plants. Spray your tree with agricultural streptomycin while it’s in full bloom. Prune out the dead wood, cutting back to healthy tissue. Disinfect your pruning saw with a 10-percent chlorine bleach/water solution between each cut.