EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 121 



two or three broods have developed, the incrustation may be many times 

 thicker than in the beginning. It will, therefore, be seen that only the 

 most effectual remedies should be used and a little extra care in pre- 

 paring and applying them will be well repaid. 



Observation during the past year in many parts of the State indicates 

 that very few appreciate the importance of thoroughness in spraying. 

 In many cases the mixture was applied with a brush to the trunk and 

 larger branches, and the remaining portions of the trees were left un- 

 treated. This was generally in the villages and cities where the owners 

 of the trees did not possess a spray pump. A large number of fruit 

 igrowers, whose premises were visited, evidently thought they were very 

 thorough in the work, but it was not uncommon to find an occasional 

 tree that had been missed and in a large number of instances the trees 

 were sprayed from one side only. Under these circumstances, it is not 

 strange that occasional failures were reported. 



Among the other experiments that are being carried on in a coopera- 

 tive manner are several upon lines relating to the pruning of the trees, 

 the thinning of the fruit, the use of various fruit packages, as well as 

 experiments in cultivation and the use of various fertilizers and cover- 

 crops. 



In the vicinity of Douglas, Allegan county, an experiment was under- 

 taken last July in co-operation with the Division of Vegetable Pathology 

 of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and with my own work as 

 State inspector of nurseries and orchards, to test the effect of prompt 

 eradication in restricting the disease known as "little-peach." During 

 the past ten years, this disease has destroyed thousands of trees within 

 five miles of Douglas and its ravages are rapidly extending. Professor 

 M. B. Waite, a special agent of the department, has devoted several 

 weeks each summer for a number of years in studying the disease but, 

 as yet, has arrived at no conclusion regarding its nature, except that it 

 appears to be highly contagious and fatal to all trees attacked by it. 

 The disease appears to have no choice of soil, variety, or in the nature 

 of the surroundings, and it develops in a tree so gradually that for 

 some weeks its presence would only be detected by an expert. As pre- 

 vious experiments in spraying and the use of fertilizers have given no 

 results, it was thought advisable to make a thorough test of promptly 

 removing infected trees, upon the spread of the disease. A section con- 

 taining some seven square miles, just south of the village of Douglas, 

 which is somewhat detached from other peach orchards, was examined 

 three times during July, August and September, 1903, and all trees 

 found infected with this disease were marked, and the owners were 

 ordered to remove and destroy them. This could be done under the 

 orchard inspection law as Mr. Horace G. Welch, who had the matter 

 in charge, under my direction, is a deputy inspector of nurseries and 

 orchards. Although thousands of infected trees had previously been 

 removed by the owners, some 3,000 were found to be infected and their 

 removal was ordered. In nearly every case, the owners were convinced of 

 the dangerous nature of the disease and were only too glad to cooperate 

 by promptly removing all of the trees whose destruction was ordered. 

 It is proposed to continue this experiment this year and again in 1905 

 and it is hoped that at the end of the third year, it will be possible to 

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