96 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 



trees twenty-five or thirty years old. This orchard was visited and the 

 owner, under instructions, cut back the trees and gave them a thorough 

 spraying with whale-oil soap, at the rate of one pound to a gallon of 

 water, and kerosene emulsion containing one gallon of kerosene to three 

 gallons of water. The work was quite thoroughly done, but even then 

 a few scales escaped and further treatment will be necessary. Early 

 in October, the presence of the scale was reported in another orchard, 

 two or three miles from the one above mentioned, and it was found 

 that it had spread over 1,200 young apple, peach and pear trees, from 

 five to eight years old, and it had also secured lodgment in an adjoining 

 forest of 200 acres. As this colony was not located until after the 

 orchard and nursery inspection laws went into effect, the matter was 

 placed into the hands of the State inspector. Where the trees were 

 not destroyed, all parties reporting the scale were urged to cut back 

 and spray their trees; in most cases this advice was followed. 



BLACK PEACH APHIS. 



The black peach aphis has spread through a large number of orchards 

 in the vicinity of Grand Rapids and thousands of trees have been de- 

 stroyed; it was brought in on nursery stock and has spread from the 

 young trees to the bearing orchards. After treating with various in- 

 secticides, including bisulphide of carbon, kainit, tobacco, salt and wood 

 ashes, it was thought best to recommend the use of the latter, as it 

 not only semed as effective as the others, but it is worth more than its 

 cost as a fertilizer for most of the orchards and can be applied without 

 danger to the trees. Tobacco water was considered the second best 

 remedy. In order to prevent any possible injury to the trees by this 

 insect, we have recommended soaking the trees in tobacco water before 

 they are planted. Where this advice has been followed, no case of in- 

 fection has been reported. 



GUM DISEASE. 



Reports have been received from various parts of the State, of injury 

 to peach trees by the development on the branches of knots, from which 

 gum exuded; examination failed to show the presence of any specific 

 disease and the swellings are thought to be the result of injury to, 

 or rupture of the bark. In bome cases the bark has been weakened 

 by the attack of various fungi, while in others, it has the appearance 

 of having been ruptured by the action of frost upon tissues that have 

 failed to ripen in the fall, or that have started into growth in the 

 spring. As a result of these injuries the sap exudes and a corky, knot- 

 like growth forms and, if the, injuries are severe, it generally results 

 in the weakening of the branches, and, since there will be danger of their 

 breaking down, it will be desirable, if the injuries are severe, to cut 

 back the branches below the injured portions. 



CROWN GALL. 



Many complaints have been received regarding the sale of nursery 

 stock bearing galls upon their roots; these are found upon nearly all 

 kinds of fruit trees, but particularly upon the peach. The exact nature 

 of the disease is not known, but it is thought to be contagious, especially 



