56 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The work in the bud-rot of the coconut pahn has been completed, 

 the very interesting discovery having been made that the organism 

 associated with typhoid fever and not hitherto known to be a plant 

 parasite is the cause of the bud-rot disease. A bulletin on the sub- 

 ject is now in press. 



DISEASES OF FRUITS. 



A feature of the fruit-disease problems of the year has been the 

 prevalence of physiological diseases, particularly of the apple. In 

 the Eastern States physiological troubles have occurred in the form 

 of corky spots in the flesh of apples, accompanied by more or less 

 distortion in the shape of the fruit. The York Imperial, the Ben 

 Davis, and other commercial varieties have been affected so seriously 

 as to injure the sale of fruit from orchards. These troubles are 

 attributed mainly to the abnormal climatic conditions of the 1911 

 season. 



A group of diseases, such as rosette and chlorosis, has developed 

 in eastern orchards so as to attract attention, and thev have increased 

 greatly in the "Western States. The extreme climatic conditions of 

 the season have resulted in more injury by the new combination 

 sprays of lime-sulphur and lead arsenate, but nevertheless these 

 sprays are proving to be the most universally satisfactory remedies 

 that have ever been devised. 



Ver}' satisfactory results have come from the researches on apple 

 mildew and its treatment. Experiments on this disease in the Wat- 

 sonville district of California, in cooperation with the local authori- 

 ties, have developed a satisfactory method of control by spraying. 



The cedar rust, or orange rust, of the apple, which was so com- 

 mon in the Appalachian fruit belt last season, was very much less 

 abundant during 1911. Most of this was the result of climatic con- 

 ditions, though the application of control measures, such as cutting 

 down the cedars and spraying, helped to reduce the disease. 



Spraying experiments on the pecan scab were continued for the 

 third season, and Bordeaux mixture was demonstrated to be a 

 specific for pecan scab in Georgia. The pecan rust on nursery stock 

 was studied and complete success obtained in controlling it by 

 spraying. 



Peach spraying work for the control of peach scab and brown 

 rot was conducted in West Virginia, Delaware, and Michigan. A 

 portion of the work was experimental, for the purpose of testing 

 new fungicides and perfecting the self-boiled lime-sulphur treat- 

 ment, but most of the work was in the nature of demonstrations. 

 The results were very striking, and showed conclusiveh'^ that where 

 one or both of these diseases are prevalent the net profits from a 

 peach crop may Ijc doubled, or in some cases quadrupled, by spray- 

 ing at the proper time. 



