APPLE DISEASES. 83 



during the summer and autumn, and is just visible to the 

 eye as minute groups of blood-red, globose bodies, nestling 

 in the rugged portions of the wounds. 



Eemedies. — As will have been gathered from the fore- 

 going, judicious pruning both before and after the appear- 

 ance of the disease is most essential. Where the pest 

 has attacked stout branches the most certain method is to 

 cut away the cankered portion of bark and wood and cover 

 with clay, or paint with Stockholm tar. It is necessary 

 to cut well behind the evidently infected parts, as the 

 mycelium travels in the tissues for some time before exter- 

 nal changes denote its presence, and if left in the branch 

 a fresh outbreak is almost certain at a later date. Fallen, 

 diseased twigs should not be allowed to lie under the 

 trees, as the fungus forms fruit on such branches, which 

 consequently prove a source of danger. The canker fungus 

 is, unfortunately, by no means confined to apple trees, 

 but also flourishes on many other kinds of trees and 

 shrubs ; hence it is necessary to keep a sharp look-out to 

 see that the fungus is not introduced into the orchard 

 from some outside source. 



Brown Rot (Monilia fructigena). — This fungus is one 

 of the commonest and most widely distributed of moulds 

 against which the fruit grower has to contend. It attacks 

 almost every variety of orchard fruit, also many wild 

 kinds, especially those belonging to the order Eosacese. 

 In this country it is most abundant on apples, although 

 cherries and plums are by no means exempt from its 

 attacks. The fungus usually appears first on the leaves, 

 where it forms more or less effused, irregular, brown 

 blotches, which eventually burst through the tissue of the 

 upper surface of the leaf under the form of minute, vel- 

 vety patches of a brown colour. The velvety appearance 

 is due to the fruit of the fungus, which consists of 

 myriads of very minute, barrel-shaped spores, produced in 

 chains. At maturity the spores become free, are then 

 carried by rain, wand, birds, etc., on to the surface of 



G 2 



