HISTORY OF TKEATMENT. 61 



work doiu' in tho winter of 1S92-03,* that as the apparent result of 

 the fall and sprino- sprayin«-s, there was ahiiost a total absence of leaf 

 curl, althouoh it had usually been quite prevalent there in early spring-, 

 and was present in 181>3 in neiohl)()rino- orchards, causinor many of the 

 leaves and fruits to drop. He says" further, that to him ''the effect 

 of the spray upon leaf curl in particular was a revelation." The work 

 of Professor Taft in this orchard in 1893 was reported on several occa- 

 sions durino- 1S!)3 and 18'.»-i.'' 



The work of the writer began in Michigan by the publication, in 

 the fruit belt of that State, in the latter part of July, 1893, of notices 

 of the work done in California,* and of reipiests for the names of 

 peach growers who had sustained losses from this diseast*. In 

 August, plans for experiments at Shelby and Ludington were in 

 progress, and in November a circular letter, stating that leaf curl had 

 been successfully prevented in California, \vas addr(\ss(Hl to the ])each 

 growers of all the leading peach centers of the country. In this 

 circular it was stated thjit "It is proposed to carry on during the 

 coming season some work in ditlerent parts of the United States," 

 The circular reached many of the leading peach growers of Michi- 

 gan. During the winter, that of 1893-94, plans for the testing of 

 winter sprays for the control of curl were undertiiken by growers, at 

 the request of this Department, at Whitehall, Albion. (langes, Beulah, 

 Riverside, Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Kalamazoo, Covert, Hawk- 

 head, South Haven, Ludington, Shelby, Douglas, Millgrove, Custer, 

 Amber, Mears, Hart, Gobleville, Ortonville, Monterey, Fenville, 

 Saugatuck, Allegan, AVayland, Bradley, Peach Belt, etc. During the 

 winter of 1894-95 the above list was greatly extended. Within these 

 two years over 400 Michigan peach growers were sent full instruc- 

 tions for controlling curl. Each grower was requested to make his 

 tests according to an experiment sheet sent him, leaving unsprayed 

 trees for comparison. In this way many striking object lessons were 

 obtained, aiding materially in the early and widespread introduction 

 of the methods of treatment recommended. Reports of a few of these 

 experiments are given in a subsequent chapter. 



The Department's tests in Ohio were instituted through a circular 

 letter in November, 1893, announcing to a large number of peach 

 growers in that State the successful treatment of curl in California, 

 and stating that experiments would be undertaken in the East. As a 

 result of replies to this circular, full instructions for controlling curl 



iMich. Exp. Sta. Bull. No. 104, pub. Feb., 1894, pp. 64, 65. 



2 Letter dated South Haven, Mich., Dec. 16, 1897. 



=* Paper read at Shelby, June 14, 1893, Kept. Mich. Hort. Soc, 1893, pp. 66, 67, and 

 79; article in Allegan Gazette, July 1, 1893; Mich. Exp. Sta. Bull. No. 104, p. 64; pub. 

 Feb., 1894; American Agriculturist, Feb., 1894, pp. 71, 72. 



* Ludington (Mich.) Appeal, issue of July 20, 1893, quoted by Shelby Sentinel, etc. 



