MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 349^ 



Pear blight may be lessened by the exercise of a little precaution 

 on the part of horticiiltnrists. If all the dead and blighted branches 

 are cut off in the winter and the trees washed with a solution of cop- 

 per sulphate, the amount is greatly reduced. 



Plum rot is severe in the Mississippi valley. It attacts many varie- 

 ties of the cultivated red plum when ripe or nearly ripe, and frequently 

 when half grown. Some seasons it is very severe during the flowering 

 period, especially during moist and rainy weather. The fungus attacks 

 the petals, stamens and pistil. Soon the whole branch becomes af- 

 fected. In a few days not a single healthy flower will remain, and 

 hence -crop failure. Careful observation will show that it starts from 

 certain parts of the tree where the old attacked plums are hanging on 

 the tree. The object lesson is plain. Eemove all the diseased plums 

 in the fall. Rubbish heaps containing the spores of fungi are too 

 often neglected. They should be burned. 



I have noticed for a number of years that spot disease of the 

 cherry is very much more frequent in nurseries and old orchards and 

 places where the disease has been known for years. This certainly is 

 an indication that it can be prevented by removing the diseased leaves. 

 This disease is so bad that the common varieties of the cherry cannot 

 be grown from pits. Thus a lot of seedlings of Shadow Amarelle lost 

 nearly all of their leaves in July. The disease should not only be 

 treated with fungicides but the old leaves should be removed and 

 burned. — L. H. Pammel, Iowa, in Orange Judd Farmer. 



APPLES FOR COLD STORAGE. 



Mr. W. J. Murray, connected with the cold storage department of 

 the Armour Packing Co., in an interview given to the Kansas City 

 Packer, makes the following suggestions about apples that are to go 

 into cold storage. "Pick apples a trifle green — according to length of 

 time they may be in storage, but not so green as to affect proper color 

 when fully ripened. Throw out all apples that are small, misshapen, 

 slightly bruised, wormy or very much off in color ; dispose of them as 

 No. 2. It was never intended that any but perfect apples should go 

 into cold storage, which cannot stop decay already begun, nor make 

 imperfect apples perfect. Even perfect fruit that is full ripe cannot 

 keep very long in cold storage. Remember that apples will be ex- 

 amined carefully before they are purchased, and a few poor ones in a 

 barrel of fancy stock may compel salesmen to sell the entire barrel on 

 the value of the few imperfect apples. Every apple should be handled 



