DEPARTMENT REPORTS. 131 



has been almost a cloaii sweep of ilie orcli.n-ds and lliose wlio now 

 have old trees should not ne.i;leet to walch I hem carefnllv and if the 

 orchards are infected with either disease, tlie.v should be i-emoved at once. 

 l\y thus eleanin<;- out every vestij^c of the diseases (lie (li;inces of ui-ow- 

 ing- new orchards will be greatly increased. 



Fruit growers in the counties from Mason to Berrien have now had 

 the fact, that the "yelloxAs'' is a very dangerous disease, very forcibly 

 imjiressed ii])on them and these lessons should be sullicient to bring 

 about the utmost care and thoroughness in tighting them. The experi- 

 ence of the last forty years has demonstrated that if diseased trees 

 are allowed to remain in an orchard, all of the trees \vill be quickly 

 wiped out but if they are removed as soon as the diseased fruit is 

 fouiul on llie trees the loss Avill be very small. From the fact that there 

 is danger of infection from orchards within a radins of perhaps one 

 mile, it is very important that the action be concerted and that town- 

 ships in wiiicli these diseases prevail should have orchard inspectors 

 to see that everyone promptly complies with the law. 



Until within the last three or four years these diseases have been con- 

 fined to the western part of the state but they have noAV developed to 

 quite a considerable extent in Oakland and Macomb connties and as 

 the fruit groAvers of those sections generally are not familiar with the 

 diseases it is particularly important that competent persons are se- 

 lected in each township where peaches are extensively growm so that the 

 spread of the diseases ma}^ be checked. 



CROWN GALL OP THE PEACH. 



During the past two or three years this disease has been quite trouble 

 some in several of the nurseries, but from the fact that the inspection 

 must be done while the trees are growing it is not possible to determine 

 the presence of crown gall on the roots. 



Nurserymen have been instructed to throw out all trees infected with 

 the crown gall and most of them are evidently trying to live up to the 

 requirement. However, in the rush of packing, infected trees are fre- 

 quently sent out and the purchasers are advised to discard all sucli trees, 

 especially when the galls are upon the collar or main roots. If the 

 number infected is sufficiently large to make claims for damages worth 

 while, all responsible nurseries should be willing to refund the amount 

 l>aid provided due notice is given and the trees are placed subject to 

 their order. 



Crown gall is also of a contagious nature and although it is not 

 likely to spread from tree to tree in the orchard, it evidently spreads 

 from raspberries growing in peach orchards, hence it is not advisable 

 to plant raspberries between the rows of peach trees. While cases have 

 been noticed in which trees having galls upon the collar or main roots 

 have apparently recovered from the disease, it more generally hap- 

 pens that a gall upon the main root of a peach tree will involve a 

 larger surface and practically girdle a tree, rendering it of no value. 



SAN .TOSE SCALE. 



The area infesled by this insect has not appreciably changed during 

 the year. The northern part of the state as yet appears to be entirely 



