no EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



Ruby Gem apple. — Sprayed on July 14. Examined ^uly 16. About 90 per cent 

 of aphis dead. 



Glowing Goal apple. — Sprayed July 14. Insects all dead where leaves were not 

 tightly curled. Other trees treated at the same time showed about the same results. 

 Very much depended upon the thoroughness of the application. This held good all the 

 way through. 



SUMMARY. 



1. For ease of preparation, cheapness, and efficacy against aphides tobacco water 



with soft soap or- whale oil soap is recommended for general orchard use. 



2. Tobacco water and lemon oil gave the most decisively satisfactory results. The 



lemon oil more than doubles the cost of the preparation which, without it, is 

 less than one half cent per gallon, 



3. Quassia chips and whale oil soap make an insecticide rather more expensive 



than the last and nearly as effective. 



4. In spraying to destroy aphides the greatest possible care ought to be exercised in 



order that the liquid should reach every part of the lower leaf surface. 



5. Two or three applications at intervals of a few days should be made in order to 



destroy the colonies escaping the first spray. 



FUNGOUS DISEASES. 



The year was marked by the vigour and activity of many of the fungous diseasen 

 parasitic on cultivated plants. 



Apple spot (Fusicladium dendriticum, Fckl.) was phenomenally virulent upon the 

 foliage of apple trees. This may be accounted for by the favourable climatic conditions 

 for its growth, prevailing during the latter part of June and the greater portion of July. 

 It is a regrettable fact that many growers omitted spraying their orchards this year 

 on account of the small crop of fruit. This is bad policy and will not pay in the lonsi 

 run. Many orchards were partially and some completely defoliated in midsummer. So 

 severe was the attack that growers in certain sections thought a new kind of blight had 

 struck their orchards. It was, however, only an old enemy in new guise. Even 

 orchards sprayed most carefully were not exempt by any means, but they were vastly 

 superior in vigour of foliage to those not sprayed. Several cases of plum spot {Clado- 

 sporiivm carpophUum v. Thiimen) affecting apricots were noted. In one instance the 

 fruit was entirely destroyed. Native plums where not sprayed were again severely 

 attacked. Owing to this cause not more than one-quarter of a crop was harvested in 

 the Ottawa valley where this type of plum is largely grown. The native plum crop on 

 the Central Farm was fair as to quantity and good as to quality. The trees were 

 sprayed three times with Bordeaux mixture. 



The season was also marked by a severe outbreak of the disease which so frequently 

 injures Flemish Beauty pears, variously known as "pear cracking," " pear leaf blight," 

 (fee. {Entomjosporium. maculatum). *Numerous samples were received from widely 

 separated sections showing the disease to be very general in its attack. Its presence in 

 the orchard may be noted in early summer by the appearance of small black spots upon 

 the leaves and smoky patches dotting the skin of the fruit. The leaf spots increase in 

 size ; the leaves turn yellow and fall in late summer ; meantime the fruit spots have 

 grown in size ; invading the skin and assuming a horny external covering, they eventually 

 check the growth of the pear causing uneven development, resulting in the growth 

 of cracks in the skin and a general aborted and gnarled appearance. 



Treatment. — Bordeaux mixture is invaluable in preventing the development of this 

 disease. It is of little use if not applied as soon as the buds begin to swell. Four ap- 



• It is probable that two or three distinct diseases are confused with the last named enemy. A bulletin 

 upon this subject has recently been issued by the Cornell Experiment Station. 



