14 



RECOMMENDATIONS. 



Although excellent results were obtauied from three sprayings in 

 the case of the Jonathan, Gano, and Ben Davis varieties, experience 

 elsewhere has shown that it is not always safe to rely on so small a 

 number of applications. The work here was done just at the right 

 time, except the late beginning on the Jonathan, and with a thor- 

 oughness that is not ordinarily secured m general orchard spraying. 

 The first application was made dangerously late, so that only two 

 subsequent sprayings were required to cover the infection period. In 

 the treatment of a larger orchard, requiring a week or more to cover 

 it, such a late beginning might prove disastrous. 



It is therefore recommended that four sprayings at intervals of two 

 to tln:"ee weeks, beginning about six weeks after the petals fall, be 

 made where bitter-rot alone is to be treated. In order to get the fruit 

 thoroughly covered with the spray before infection takes place the 

 second application should follow the first within two weeks, while the 

 intervals between the subsequent applications may be extended to 

 three weeks unless the season be unusually wet and warm. Bor- 

 deaux mixture, made of 5 pounds of bluestone and 5 pounds of lime to 

 50 gallons of water, seems best for this disease, but the 4-6-50 formula" 

 gives satisfactory results, especially where a larger number of applica- 

 tions are made for the combined treatment of bitter-rot and other 

 troubles. 



APPLE BLOTCH. 



OCCURRENCE. 



During the past several years the Department of Agriculture has 

 received specimens of apples affected with a fungus (PhyUosticta sp.) 

 causing blotches or spots, which so disfigure the fruit as to render it 

 unmarketable. This disease has been variously known as "PhyUos- 

 ticta," "black-scab," "late-scab," "cancer," and "fruit-blotch." 



The records of the Department show that apples affected with this 

 disease have been received from Virginia, Maryland, New^ Jersey, 

 Oliio, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indian Ter- 

 ritory, and Texas. It has also been recorded from southern Illinois 

 by Clinton.^ Although appearing to have rather a wide distribution, 

 it has not attracted much attention. This is perhaps due largely to 

 the fact that, except in a few localities, it has not been a serious pest 

 and has generally been mistaken by the orchardists for the ordinary 

 apple scab. This proved to be the case in some of the orchards 

 selected for demonstration spraying, and it turned out as the season 

 progressed that this was one of the serious fungous troubles from 

 which the orchardists were seekmg relief. 



, o Four pounds of bluestone and 6 pounds of lime to 50 gallons of water. 

 ' M^nivorsity of Illinois Agric. Exp. Sta. Bui. 69, pp. 190-192, PI. B, fig. 1. 

 283 



