New Yokk Agkicultukal Experiment Station. 159 



The only other beet leaf disease with which leaf scorch is likely 

 to be confused is a fungus disease known as leaf spot.'* This is 

 a common and destructive disease of beets in l^ew York State 

 and is more prevalent in wet seasons than in dry. It forms cir- 

 cular, brown or gray dead spots on the leaves. If the spots are 

 numerous a part or the whole of the leaf may die and turn black 

 in a manner closely resembling leaf scorch, but in such cases the 

 "outlines of the spots are plainly visible until the leaf is fully 

 decayed. 



In the advanced stage, the effects of leaf scorch on the beet 

 root might easily be mistaken for scab. In general, it may be 

 distinguished from scab by the light brown discoloration of the 

 sound tissue but when the brown discoloration is absent the 

 diagnosis must be based chiefly upon the shape and location of 

 the affected areas. In leaf scorch the affected areas occur prin- 

 cipally upon the upper portion of the root and are usually more 

 or less V-shaped with the opening toward the crown ; whereas, 

 in scab the spots occur on any part of the root and are more 

 often irregular or circular than V-shaped. 



Concerning treatment it is needless to say that proper irrigation 

 is a sure preventive; but where irrigation can not be practiced 

 avoid planting on light, sandy soil and in dry weather conserve 

 the moisture by stirring the soil frequently and especially after 

 every shower. 



LEAF SCOECH OF CHEEKY. 



Late in September of the present year a Geneva fruit grower 

 called our attention to a scorching of cherry foliage which he 

 feared might be an infectious disease like the fire blight of the 

 pear and apple. On trees of all ages more or less of the foliage 

 was brown, crisp and dead. The dead leaves remained attached 

 to the twigs which were neither blackened nor shriveled. A 



4 For an account of beet leaf spot and scab and their treatment, see Cornell 

 Exp. Sta. Bui. 163. Three Important Diseases of the Sugar Beet. 



