748 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The subject of "Crown Gall" was next taken up, and the follow- 

 ing paper was read by the Secretary: 



SHALL WE PLANT TREES VISIBLY AFFECTED WITH 



CROWN GALL? 



I$y A. C. RICHARDS, New Paris, Pa. 



Emphatically, no; for several reasons. My first acquaintance with 

 this disease was made four years ago, in a bunch of 1,000 or more 

 apple trees from a firm in Ohio. 



Although they bore the usual inspection tag, I noticed a fungous 

 growth of peculiar character on the crowns of quite a number of 

 trees that both puzzled and alarmed me. Fearing it was some dan- 

 gerous growth, I sent samples to Prof. Butz at State College, who 

 pronounced it the new, dangerous and mysterious disease ''Crown 

 Gall." I planted and marked a few of those affected, the larger part 

 of which are now dead. 



While, on account of limited time, my observations have not been 

 what I desired, as to the nature and elfect of the disease, I am con- 

 vinced that it so destroys the vigor of the tree as to give it a hope- 

 less future, because of whicli, as well as the danger from infection, 

 I am digging out affected trees and destroying them. 



In every shipment of trees since received, I aim to throw out all 

 affected trees, and I have not found a large percentage affected, 

 until the past fall, when the apple trees bought were badly affected, 

 near 30 per cent. Another party selling for a Pennsylvania nursery 

 found about 40 per cent, affected," though he knew nothing was wrong 

 with his stock till the large part had been delivered to purchasers. 



Many persons are selling fruit trees who know nothing about the 

 disease and others who do, fail to cull out for reasons best known 

 to themselves. 



I saw the past summer a few trees on exhibit at a large gathering, 

 and on one of these trees a gall. I quietly called the attention of the 

 exhibitor to the fact, and was surprised that he was not informed 

 as to the dangerous character of the disease, though he makes large 

 sales and seemed an honest fellow. 



While I do not consider it so highly contagious in our fruits as in 

 the citrous fruits of the Pacific slope, yet the rapidity with which it 

 spreads and "the dangerous character of the disease, makes it essen- 

 tial that no trees visibly affected should ever be planted, except for 

 experimental purposes. 



