286 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



the stock in about forty per cent of the inoculations, i. e., the previously 

 healthy stocks contracted the disease from the inserted buds and sent out 

 feeble, wiry growths, often at a distance of some inches from the inserted 

 bud. This was the point I most desired to establish, because, as already 

 stated, I thought it likely that the inserted buds might grow into diseased 

 shoots and the stock still remain healthy. The evidence of this infection of 

 the stocks could be seen in July, was clear in August, and still plainer in 

 November, when nearly all the winter buds on some of the stock shoots were 

 just pushing under the influence of the disease. Even as early as August 26 

 per cent of the infected stocks were dead, and others, then languishing, were 

 dead in November. 



Of the entire lot of two hundred trees, only thirty-nine appeared to be 

 entirely healthy in November. From the foregoing table it will be observed 

 that even in August a very unusual number of the trees were dead, and in 

 November the condition of the trees was still worse, less being healthy and 

 more being dead. Early in tfte season many of these dead trees had put out 

 feeble shoots from the inserted bud or the stock, but these grew only from 

 one-half an inch to three inches and then died. A June examination would 

 have shown fewer dead trees and a much larger number of apparoitly healthy 

 ones. Even in August the trees marked doubtful and diseased showed a 

 greeJi and thrifty top, and at a distance gave no more indication of disease 

 than do older trees in the first stage of yellows. As a rule, however, their 

 growth was not as robust as that of trees in the adjoining rows. These neigh- 

 boring trees are of the same age and stock, and were budded at the same 

 time, but from- healthy scions. The contrast was very striking, and the com- 

 parison left no doubt whatever that in this case the disease was due entirely 

 to the insertion of the unhealthy buds. 



Lot II, inoculated with buds apparently healthy, but taken from a tree on 

 which were some limbs in the first stage of the disease, was sent to a locality 

 free from yellows. Up to the last of June only one tree showed any sugges- 

 tion of disease and this was doubtful. Unfortunately, these trees were not 

 examined in the autumn, and their present condition is not known. It is 

 quite possible that they have already developed yellows, or that they will do 

 so after some years. No nurseryman would ever use such diseased and imper- 

 fect buds as I inserted into lot I, but the buds inserted into lot II appeared to 

 be well developed and perfectly healthy, and might have been selected for 

 ordinary budding by a careless or unscrupulous man. Tlie future of these 

 trees will therefore be watched with the greatest interest, since it may throw 

 additional light upon the manner in which the disease is distributed. A 

 point very interesting in connection with this discussion is whether trees of the 

 same age and same variety, and from the same nursery, are entirely healthy 

 in one locality and badly diseased in another. I have made some observa- 

 tions on thif, point, but not enough to be able to speak positively. The 

 evidence, however, favors the belief that such trees are often healthy in one 

 locality and diseased in another, and if further inquiry substantiates this 

 conclusion, it will be an additional reason for thinking that yellows is not 

 always to be attributed to the nursery, but may also spread in other ways. 

 My own view at present is that the first affected tree in any district is always 

 an introduced one, but that when once introduced the disease spreads from 

 orchard to orchard irrespective of the origin of the stocks or buds. 



