REPORT OF THE HORTICULTURIST. Ill 



plications are necessary. It does not seem possible of late years to obtain a good sample 

 of Flemish Beauty pears except with careful spraying. 



Peach mildew appeared in a few orchards. This disease is superficial in habit of 

 growth, causing grayish patches upon the fruit and covering the under side of the 

 leaves and the bark of the young shoots with a powdery gray coating. It is often 

 brought in from the south with young peach trees. If such trees develop the disease 

 during the first season in orchard they should be discarded. Close pruning would 

 undoubtedly check the growth of the disease, but it is unwise to begin orcharding with 

 unhealthy trees. I have had no experience in spraying to prevent mildew, but see no 

 good reason why standard fungicides should not be effective. 



Shot hole fungus (Septoria pruni). — This parasite should rank among the first-class 

 pests of the season. Many letters like the following were received. " Dear Sir : — What 

 is the matter with the inclosed plum leaves ? They are from Loaibard's. The trees 

 were planted five years ago, are in good sandy ground and have been well cultivated." 

 Henry Shaw, Waterville, N.S. "Shot hole fungus" is readily recognized in its later 

 stages by the small, neatly cut, circular perforations surrounded by a purplish ring which 

 so plentifully mark affected leaves. It is a serious enemy to plum culture. Whenever 

 a plum tree is enfeebled by uncongenial soil, the attacks of borers, or the effects of 

 climate, shot hole fungus is nearly certain to appear. In cases of severe attack the tree 

 loses its foliage prematurely. This prevents the fruit from ripening, the proper develop- 

 ment of leaf and fruit buds, bringing about generally disastrous results. 



Remedial. — If the trees are sprayed to prevent plum rot {Monilia fructigena), Sep- 

 toria will also be largely prevented. The trouble is, that growers do not think it 

 necessary to spray young trees not in bearing. Healthy foliage is essential to the proper 

 storing of the leaf and fruit buds, and unless this is secured by spraying assisted by 

 good cultivation, success will not be attained. 



Orape mildew (Peronospora) was not so injurious as might have been expected on 

 account of the character of the season, and yielded in the Farm vineyard to the per- 

 sistent application of Bordeaux mixture. 



GOOSEBERRY MILDEW. 



I 



This has been the chief difficulty met with at the Central Farm in the cultivation 

 of the English gooseberry. The plantation is situated on light sandy loam. Although 

 carefully sprayed each season there has always been present a certain amount of mildew. 

 This combined with frost injury has rendered most of them unproductive. For further 

 particulars (as to susceptibility of varieties) see notes on Gooseberries. 



An experiment in shading the plants from the sun's rays by growing a hill of corn 

 on the south, east and west sides was tried. The seed of a medium growing variety of 

 corn was planted on the sides indicated, about two feet from the gooseberry plant. 



Three plants each of the following varieties of gooseberries were shaded, viz., Snow- 

 ball, Lady Leicester, Marigold, Conquering Hero, Fillbasket and Riccardo. (Notes 

 taken Sept. 30.) 



Results. 



Scale 1 : 10. Healthy, 10. Badly diseased, 1. 



Date, 1897. Shaded. Not shaded. 



Aug. 16 — Snowball 8 plants growing. . 6 not growing. 



do Lady Leicester .... 7 do . . 7 growing. 



do Marigold ... 7 fair condition ... 5 very sickly. 



do Conquering Hero . . 5 poor condition ... 6 fair condition. 



do Fillbasket 9 good condition. . . 7 fair condition. 



do Riccardo 10 healthy 9 good condition. 



