65 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



Buxa Division. Even now, after only two years' continu- 

 ous observation, it appears that the fundus is spreading 

 rapidly and that the death rate of trees on which the fun- 

 gus occurs is, in some plots, high : this rate however shows 

 considerable variation from one plot to another. It must 

 be remembered that in a slow growing forest crop such as 

 sal, a low yearly percentage of loss, which in the case of an 

 annual agricultural crop would be negligible, may be very 

 serious. 



(8) Peach leaf curl. This disease has long been the 

 cause of serious loss in the important fruit-growing districts 

 of North-West India and until recently was not considered 

 susceptible of treatment by spraying, the relatively unsatis- 

 factory methods of pruning and burning diseased branches 

 being the only remedial measures advocated. Experiments 

 conducted in America have however shown that the spread 

 of this parasite — Exoascus deformans, (Berk.) Fuckel — by 

 air-borne infection plays a very extensive part in the spread 

 of the disease and that spraying with Burgundy mixture 

 just before the buds open is an effective control against 

 this trouble. In co-operation with the Agricultural Officer, 

 North-West Frontier Province, an extensive trial of this 

 method was carried out in the Government Orchards at 

 Taru during January, 1917, with results which have proved 

 very encouraging, there being a considerable difference 

 between the sprayed orchard and neighbouring private 

 orchards. Trials were made both with lime-sulphur mix- 

 ture and Burgundy mixture and both proved satisfactory. 

 Owing however to the ease with which it can be prepared, 

 the latter will be the most popular with the cultivator. 

 Spraying is to be continued at the Government Orchards 

 during future seasons and it is hoped to introduce the 

 practice to fruit-growers in the district and to lessen 

 materially the damage done by this destructive disease. 



(9) Other diseases of interest. The powdery scab of 

 potatoes caused by Spongospoi-a subterranea, (Wall.) John., 

 was received from Bombay Presidency. This is the first 

 record of any parasitic member of the Myxomycete family 



