1900] POCKET OR BLADDER PLUMS. 81 



body, called a pocket." These young "pockets," when they first begm 

 to develop (in May), are noted as being somewhat elongated, cnrved, 

 and fairly pliant, " of a yellowish colour, and more or less wrinkled, or 

 grooved. Specimens taken at a later date may be redder, and will 

 probably be covered with a greyish ' bloom,' or powder ; later still 

 they will be spotted and rotten with mould. A section of the pocket 

 shows that no ' stone ' is developed, and the shrivelled remnant of 

 what would normally have become the seed may be detected in the 

 cavity." 



It will be seen by the descriptions at p. 79 of the specimens for- 

 warded me from Guestling, that the characteristics are so excellently 

 observable that all the main points were correctly noted, although the 

 nature of the attack was unknown ; therefore I think that, with the 

 help of the short extracts which I have given from Prof. Marshall 

 Ward's authoritative descriptions, there will be no difficulty in re- 

 cognizing the attack. 



One very necessary method of treatment to lessen probability of 

 infestation by means of spread of fungus spores from the diseased fruit 

 is to collect the "pockets" and burn them. But beyond this, as "the 

 fungus is able to carry on its existence from year to year by means of 

 mycelium, in the branches " (H. M. W.), something further is requisite, 

 and it is recommended to prune back to the old wood. 



Where the infestation has got hold, some care in exterminating it 

 would be well worth while ; and, looking at the point of the loss it 

 causes, and also that at one time it was ascribed to insect agency, and 

 may often be connected with succeeding insect presence, I do not think 

 that I can be wrong in mentioning that, although it is really a fungoid 

 growth, I should be glad of notes of observation and method of pre- 

 vention to add to orchard notices of the coming season. 



