BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 263 



Demonstration spraying. — Demonstrations for the control of 

 apple diseases by spraying gave very good results. A great deal of 

 interest has developed on the part of fruit growers, resulting in the 

 Avidespread application of department methods with excellent results 

 to the crops. In the season of 1910 most of this work was done in 

 the Eastern States, but the production of a general apple crop 

 throughout the Middle West in 1911 afforded opportunity for again 

 carrying on demonstrations in Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, and Ar- 

 kansas as well as in Virginia, West Virginia, and Delaware. 



Demonstrations are being made on the peach and stone fruits in 

 Michigan, Delaware, and West Virginia. Demonstrations on the 

 peach last j^ear in Georgia, Virginia, and West Virginia gave almost 

 perfect results and helped to stimulate the already well-developed in- 

 terest in peach spraying. 



Enforcement or the insecticide act of 1910. — By an order of 

 the Secretary, Mr. Waite was designated as the representative of the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry on the Insecticide and Fungicide Board to 

 assist in the enforcement of the insecticide act of 1910. The board 

 has organized this work and has assigned to this bureau the problem 

 of testing fungicides as to their efficiency in preventing plant diseases 

 and their injurious effects on crops; also, in cooperation with the 

 Bureau of Entomology, the testing of the injurious effect of insecti- 

 cides when used on plants, together with other botanical work re- 

 quired by the board. 



Within the bureau the work has been partly organized, Mr. Errett 

 AVallace, with one assistant, has been employed, and tests of fungi- 

 cides and insecticides (proprietary mixtures, arsenicals, etc.) entering 

 into interstate commerce or for sale in the District of Columbia have 

 been begun. The work so far has been done mainly at the Arlington 

 Experimental Farm. 



To enlarge the work and to increase its efficiency during the fiscal 

 year 1912, it is proposed to equip a laboratory for carrying on the 

 necessary research work in the department buildings and also to 

 equip a field laboratory with the necessary orchards and gardens at 

 Arlington. 



Proposed plans for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912. — It is 

 proposed to continue the work, with some slight extensions, along the 

 lines already under investigation. In the case of the citrus diseases, 

 it is planned to take up the investigation more systematically and 

 or^mnize the research work on this important group; also to begin 

 work on the fruit rots. 



Proposed plans for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1913. — The 

 plans include continuing the work on all the groups described and to 

 still further increase the work on general orchard diseases. The 

 physiological problems and western nutrition problems need further 

 attention and the work on nut diseases should be pushed. It is pro- 

 posed to increase the work on citrus diseases and to more thoroughly 

 organize and increase the work on fruit rots. 



INVESTIGATIONS IN FOREST PATHOLOGY. 



Chestnut bark disease. — The work on the chestnut bark disease 

 has been conducted under the immediate direction of Dr. Haven 

 Metcalf. The continued advance of this disease has caused wide- 



