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APPLE DISEASES. 



GEO. E. STONE^ PH.D., BOTANIST, MASSACHUSETTS STATE BOARD OF 

 AGRICULTURE, AMHERST, MASS. 



The unusual interest now being shown in the renovating 

 and planting of orchards has stimulated a desire on the part 

 of the orchardist to know something of the different diseases 

 affecting trees. For a long time before this the apple in- 

 dustry had been on the decline, and thousands of neglected 

 apple trees could be found in the State bearing inferior fruit 

 and affected with innumerable troubles foreign to well-cared- 

 for orchards. 



For years we have been observing different orchards, with 

 particular reference to diseases and the results obtained from 

 the systematic use of lime and sulphur and arsenate of lead. 

 With the advent of the new interest in orcharding, and the 

 consequent renovation of old trees and extensive pruning, 

 spraying, cultivating and fertilizing, diseases have become 

 much less prevalent. 



A few years ago it was the practice to spray apple trees six 

 or seven times a season, without much regard to whether it 

 was necessary or not; but pruning and cultivation, etc., are 

 fully as important as spraying, which should be done only 

 with some definite object in mind. It is true that progress 

 in the successful management of orchards has often been 

 hindered by a too liberal practice of spraying at the sacrifice 

 of other methods, and to-day many growers are obtaining 

 good results with only two or three sprayings. 



The experience and skill of intensive farmers have been of 

 great aid in determining the cause of and methods for con- 

 trolling certain diseases, and it has been demonstrated that 

 many factors other than spraying help to produce healthy 



