426 BOAED OF AGEICTTLTUEE. 



When these knots appear upon several branches at the same time, it 

 is only a question of a very short time before the tree will die. The treat- 

 ment generally recommended is to cut off the knots and burn them, 

 which is a good thing to do, if it is done before the winter spores have been 

 distributed. If not, then some additional treatment will be necessary. 

 It is recommended, therefore, that all knots be cut off and burned during 

 this month (February), and in addition to this, spray the trees with a 

 strong solution of Bordeaux mixture during the first warm days of spring. 

 About the time that buds start, spray again with the ordinary strength of 

 Bordeaux mixture. This ought to destroy all the winter spores. Then 

 in case the branches may have been already infected the previous year, 

 they should be sprayed again during the latter part of May and the first 

 of June. The young knots may be destroyed by painting them with chloro- 

 naphtholeum or with pure kerosene oil. Whenever these remedies are 

 thoroughly applied, there will be no trouble in controlling the disease 

 providing all old, worthless trees have been cut out and burned and pro- 

 viding, also, that the people of the entire neighborhood co-operate in this 

 plan of action. Wherever the Damson plum is grown this disease is almost 

 sure to be present; and as it is one of the "injurious plant diseases" re- 

 ferred to in the Indiana inspection law, the necessity for prompt action on 

 the part of all owners of infested trees will be evident to all.— J. Troop, 

 Purdue Experiment Station. 



BROWN ROT OP PLUMS. 



The plum trees owned by D. R. O. are affected with what is commonly 

 called brown rot. This attacks many of the stone fruits. The cherry is 

 seriously affected at times. In 1892 I observed one-third of the crop of 

 Early Richmond affected near Dubuque. Earlier the same season the dis- 

 ease affected the flowering shoots of our Americana plums and the flower- 

 ing almond as well. It is common on the peach, frequently destroying a 

 good share of the crop, some varieties being much more seriously affected 

 than others. 



In the plums mentioned above, the season was a very favorable one. 

 Cold, wet weather during the blossoming period soon caused the fungus 

 to spread over the entire tree, with the result that no fruit set that year. 

 It attacked the petals, pistils, stamens and leaves. Usually, however, the 

 fungus attacks the fruit about the time the plums are ripening, especially 

 during rainy weather. The spores of the fungus, which are contained 

 in the chocolate brown masses, are carried by the rain, or when dry are 

 blown by the wind. It is not infrequent that the loss to the crop is 

 fully 50 per cent. 



In the case of the young branches and flowers being attacked in spring, 

 it is easy to observe that the old mummied plums convey the disease. 

 These should be carefully removed from the tree in the fall and the trees 



