173 



Tennessee Station, Special Bulletin C, May 10, 1890 (pp. 8). 



The treatment of certain fungous diseases of plants, F. L. 

 SCRIBNER, B. S. — Practical directious for the treatment of black rot of 

 grapes, apple scab, downy mildew of the vine, brown rot of grapes, 

 powdery mildews, leaf brownness of the pear and quince, potato rot, 

 and smuts of oats and wheat. 



Texas Station, Bulletin No. 9, May, 1890 (pp. 29). 



Pear stocks, T. L. Brunk, B. S. {pp. 5-22, illustrated). — Author- 

 ities are cited with reference to the best stock on which to graft or bud 

 the pear and their conclusions summed up in the statements that "(1) 

 there must be a close afiSnity between stock and scion for long life and 

 health of a tree; (2) stocks through high culture and bad selection of 

 .seeds become deteriorated and unfit for use; (3) stocks should be 

 adapted to the climate and soil in which the trees are grown ; (4) many 

 of our best varieties of pears have been so reduced in constitutional 

 vigor by working them through a .series of generations on weak and 

 poor stocks that thej" have become almost worthless and subject to the 

 inroads of disease; (5) the present weakened and short-lived pear-tree 

 is the result of man's neglect and misuse of nature's laws and powers." 



This being a question of great importance to the Southern nursery- 

 men and fruit growers, investigations in this line were instituted by the 

 author. Orchards in various parts of the States were visited, letters 

 of inquiry were sent out, and ^'duriug the past winter all the stocks on 

 which pears are 'worked' as standards were procured and i^laced in the 

 experimental grounds, and on them were worked the LeConte and 

 Keiffer and several other pears. The stocks include the LeConte and 

 Keififer grown from cuttings from ^pedigree' trees, French seedling 

 pears. Mikado j)ear seedlings, and apple seedlings. The grafts were 

 made so as to force the scion in every case to grow on the roots of the 

 stock only." By means of these experiments the author hopes that 

 further light will be thrown on this matter. The present bulletin is only 

 a report of the observations made by the author during the visits above 

 referred to and of the replies received to the letters of iniiuirj-. 



The question of first importance is " to decide which is the best stock for the Le 

 Coutu aud Keiffer pear trees, the Oriental (/. e. the LeConte or Keiffer on their own 

 roots) or the French pear seedling. * # » 



The claims of the friends of the French pear seedling or well-grown American 

 pear seedlings from European pear seed as a stock for the Le Conte and Keiffer pear 

 trees are as follows : 



(1) The trees make fully as good growths as those grown on their own roots ; (2) 

 come into bearing one or two years sooner; (3) are fully as prolific or more so; (4) 

 do not sucker or sprout from the roots any more than other fruits on seedling stocks 

 of the same species ; (.5) are less subject to blight ; (6) the afHinity between Oriental 

 pears and the French stock is close, but the Oriental pear being a more vigorous 

 grower than the American or European i)ears, they influence the stock to the extent 

 of forming enlargements, which do no harm. 



