DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 141 



WHAT IS IT? 



During" the last year or two a disease has been noticed which, although 

 it resembles Little Peach, diffei*s from it in at least one important char- 

 acteristic. While in Little Peach the fruits, which have stopped grow- 

 ing when of the size of a large peach pit, do not soften and ripen until 

 after the normal time, if at all, in the cases referred to the fruit not 

 only softens but it apparently ripens prematurely, although neither 

 the tree nor fruit show any of the characteristics of Peach Yellows. 



The fruit somewhat resembles that on trees injured by borers, but the 

 leaves are like those on trees attacked by Little Peach, except that they 

 seem somewhat mottled, green and yellow. The disease, whatever it 

 may be, appears to kill the trees within three years and should be treated 

 as a dangerous one. 



COOPERATING WITH LOCAL INSPECTORS. 



During the past year a large amount of time has been spent with 

 members of local inspection beards,, who have asked for assistance either 

 because they wish infonuation regarding their duties or because they 

 have difficulty in having their orders can'ied out. 



These visits have resulted botli in making the local inspectors more 

 efficient and spurring them on to do more work. It has also brought 

 about a change in the attitude of the owners of infected orchards and 

 a more prompt compliance with the orders of the inspectors. 



UNSCRUPULOUS AGENTS. 



For ten or fifteen dollars enough fruit trees can be purchased to 

 plant an acre of orchard. If the trees for any reason prove worthless 

 the money is wasted. This amount, while small, is more than most 

 people care to be cheated out of, but in reality it is only a small part 

 of what one loses when the trees set upon an acre of land, for any 

 reason turn out a swindle. To the first cost must be added the labor 

 of planting and of cultivating, pruning and spraying the trees, as well 

 as the use of the land until they reach a bearing age, to say nothing of 

 pulling out the trees when their worthlessness has been ascertained. 

 The total may amount to five or ten times the first cost of the trees, 

 without considering the loss of prospective profits from the orchard 

 which should be the greatest loss of all. 



For this and other reasons one cannot be too eareful in purchasing 

 trees. There is always a chance of error in the best of nurseries but 

 too many seem to care little what they use for filling their orders. 



One source of loss comes from giving orders to irresponsible dealers, 

 or tra\'eling agents, some of whom do not stop at any form of misrepre- 

 sentation and deception, if they can secure the orders. While it may 

 be going too far to advise against buying trees except from a nursery 

 or agent of known standing, it will be safe not to put faith, in any 

 claims out of the ordinary. 



Do not "bite" because a certain variety is claimed to be free from 

 attack by insects or diseases, or because it is of unusual size or pro- 

 ductiveness. Next to being led to buy new kinds because they are said 



