Pip Fruits: Apples 87 



As in the case of " Apple Scab ", the fungus attacks the young shoots, 

 and 011 these continues to produce spores every season until the branch or 

 shoot is removed, either by decay or by pruning. The disease is readily 

 recognized on the shoots by the whitish, wart-like tufts of spores. These 

 spores are the first to be formed in the spring, and are washed on to the 

 young leaves, which in turn become infected and pass their spores on to 

 the young fruit. When a tree has many infected shoots, and spores are 

 produced in abundance, the blossom is also often attacked. This is more 

 especially the case with the Cherry, where the fungus forms minute, velvety 

 tufts on the flower stalks, sepals, and petals, which in consequence turn 

 brown and die, but often remain hanging on the tree for some time. 

 Such effects are almost invariably attributed to frost. 



The only method of getting rid of this disease permanently is to 

 strike at the root of the matter, which means that, in the first instance, 

 all diseased shoots should be removed and burned. If this is not done, 

 and the admitted primary cause of the disease is allowed to remain, then 

 repeated spraying every year becomes a necessity. The next thing to 

 attend to is the removal of all dead, mummified fruit, whether hanging on 

 the trees or lying on the ground. This should be burned or deeply buried, 

 and not given to animals to eat. Next, spray with Bordeaux mixture, first 

 when the leaves are expanding, and again when the fruit is just set. After 

 such precautions, which should be repeated a second season, the disease 

 will be well in hand. 



Apple Rot (Glomurella rufo-maculans). This disease is by no means 

 new nor rare amongst us, although until recently the fungus concerned 

 in its production was known as Glceosporium fructigenum. The last- 

 named, however, is now known to be only one stage in the life-cycle of a 

 higher condition called Glomurella. 



The injury to the fruit is best known to growers. It first appears at 

 scattered points rarely more than two or three on a fruit as a small 

 brown speck showing through the skin. These spots gradually increase in 

 size, at the same time changing to a darker-brown colour, and the surface of 

 the diseased patch gradually sinks below the general surface of the apple, 

 owing to the collapse of the tissues. At this stage the diseased portions 

 have a very bitter taste; hence the disease is known as "bitter pit" in the 

 United States, where it is quite as prevalent as with us; in fact it is 

 estimated that the loss through this disease in the United States amounted 

 to 10,000,000 dollars in 1900. Numerous summer spores are produced on 

 the sunken patches, which frequently extend to such an extent that they 

 run into each other, and frequently almost cover the surface of the fruit. 

 The disease hastens the period of ripening, and causes the fruit to fall 

 early in the season. 



The disease is by no means confined to the fruit, in fact the fruit is 

 infected by spores of the fungus growing on diseased portions of the 

 branches. The fungus, when present on the branches, forms canker-like 

 patches, blackened and more or less sunk below the surface, and the bark 



