'New Yokk Agkicultukal Expekimejn^t Station. 187 

 Precipitation ix the Hudsox Valley. — April to September, 1899.2 



Total for 



Station. Ap il. May. June July. Au?. Sept sixmos. 



In. In. In. In. In. In. In. 



Albany 1.03 2.23 1.61 2.69 1.77 6.23 15.56 



Catskill 2.26 2.12 1.24 3.59 2.21 6.49 17.91 



Poughkeepsie 0.20 1.27 1.74 5.56 1.083 4.99 15.44 



West Point 1.70 2.31 4.85 5.78 1.90 6.39 22.93 



Bedford 2.11 2.36 4.73 6.05 0.89 5.03 21.57 



METHODS OF OBTAINING DATA. 



It is a favorite metliod with plant disease committees to send 

 out circulars of inquiry to fruit gi-owers asking for information 

 concerning fruit diseases whicli have appeared during the season. 

 "We have done this and gotten considerable valuable information; 

 but this method is applicable only to a few of the most common 

 and best known diseases. In the first place the majority of fruit 

 growers will pay no attention to such a circular. Out of a total 

 of 250 circular letters enclosing self addressed envelopes for the 

 reply we have had returned to us only 59. Secondly, the replies 

 are often misleading. They are usually based not upon care- 

 ful obsen^ations properly recorded, but upon loose general impres- 

 sions. Furthermore, the laity are able to identify accurately only 

 a very few diseases. Frequently, two or more distinct diseases 

 pass under one common name. Blight, leaf-spot, rust, fniit-rot and 

 root-rot are examples of this. What is commonly called pear leaf- 

 spot is caused by two quite different fungi, but there are very few 

 persons not experts who know the difference between them. We 

 have in New York, three fungous diseases and an insect trouble 

 which are covered by the one common name, cuiTant leaf-spot. 

 Even so well known a disease as peach leaf curl is sometimes con- 

 fused with the distortions caused by plant lice. 



2 The records for April, May, and June, are taken from the U. S. Monthly 

 Weather Review; those for July, August, and September, from the N. Y. Cli- 

 mate and Crop Service monthly reports. 



3 The August record for Poughkeepsie is lacking; the figures here given are 

 for Wappinger's Falls, the nearest record station. 



