DISEASES OF FRUIT TREES. 12& 



and remove all the mummy plums left hanging on the trees. 

 The spraying is the same as recommended for cherry. 



The black knot (Ploivrightia morbosa) has never been a very 

 serious trouble, and it is likely that this disease can be kept 

 under control by merely cutting out and burning the affected 

 twigs vt^henever they appear. 



The shot-hole fungus, or leaf spot, of the plum is recognized 

 by the shot-hole appearance of the leaves. It is the same fungus 

 that becomes so very serious on the cherry, but it never seems 

 to give the plum trees much trouble, 



DISEASES OF THE CHERRY. 



The most troublesome diseases of the cherry are shot-hole 

 fungus {Cylindrosjjorium 2)cidi), the mildev^ (Sphaerotheca oxyacan- 

 thae), brown rot {Monilia fructigena), and the heart rot (Polystictus 

 versixiolor). This last named disease is quite serious in neglected 

 orchards and when once the fungus obtains a foothold there is 

 no way to save the tree. The brown rot and mildew ought not 

 to be troublesome where orchards are kept well sprayed. 



The shot-hole fungus, the disease which has done so much 

 damage to our cherry trees during the past two seasons, is by 

 far the most troublesome of any of the cherry diseases. The 

 trouble has gone so far that the cherry industry in Nebraska is 

 in a critical condition. Early varieties, especially the Rich- 

 monds, seem to escape the ravages of the disease. Reports 

 from about twenty fruit growers in different sections of the 

 state show that less than twenty per cent of the early 

 cherry trees were injured and an average of not over three per 

 cent were killed, while in case of Morellos and other cherries 

 of the black juice type the average will run over ninety-five per 

 cent injured and about ninety per cent killed. Estimates from 

 seven or eight propagators show that the damage caused by 

 this disease alone amounts to over $55,000. From my observa- 

 tion and study of the disease, it seems to me that the damage 

 has reached proportions beyond which there was no necessity, 

 for only in a few cases was spraying resorted to. It seems to 

 be difficult to control this disease, and it may not be possible to 

 save the crop in wet seasons hke the past two years, but I be- 



