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One of the worst diseases known to this tree is of bacterial origin. 

 In other countries it sometimes carries off the bulk of the crop. It 

 attacks especially the fruit and leaves, and the chief characteristic 

 of the disease is the appearance on these parts, often early in the season, 

 when the disease is likely to do the most damage, of soft black spots, 

 which affect particularly the new growths and frequently kill the 

 young nuts. Nuts attacked later in the season, when the shells have 

 partly formed, do not suffer so severely, but their husks are attacked, 

 and their proper ripening is prevented. These statements are taken 

 from the writings of foreign observers. I will only add that I have 

 good reasons for thinking, as the result of examinations, that this 

 disease exists in this State. 



No satisfactory treatment is known, but it is stated that a winter treat- 

 ment with full strength Bordeaux mixture appears to have done good. 

 The greatest hope seems to be that resistant varieties may be developed. 

 As the disease winters in the husks it is advisable to give them special 

 attention, not allowing them to accumulate and rot under the trees. 

 It is comparatively easy to adopt methods of culture, harvesting, and 

 curing that will allow of the burning of husks and foliage, and, in my 

 opinion, this should be done. 



A species of Phoma and an ascomycetous fungus have come under 

 my notice as growing on the nuts of the walnut tree in New South 

 Wales. I am not aware that they do very much damage. 



Penicillium glaucum, one of the commonest of the household moulds, 

 is frequently to be found on the husks of the walnuts in the orchards,, 

 and it appears to be common in the marketed nuts. Beyond doubt 

 there is an interesting field for work in connection with the fungi so 

 commonly associated with musty nuts, and I have often longed for 

 time to go into the matter, but have never been able to find it. I 

 think it most probable that these fungi make their entrance at the 

 orchard, or during caring, and that very likely something could be 

 easily and cheaply done to minimise their evil effects, if only we had 

 some clue as to their methods of access and action. When the nuts 

 are bleached for market by the use of chlorine they are less likely to 

 go musty, if the process is skilfully carried out. It has always seemed 

 to me that a germicidal temperature might be brought into play in 

 curing walnuts if proper chambers were utilised. 



LEAF-CURL OF THE POTATO. 



THIS blight of the potato is known, I believe, wherever potatoes are 

 grown. It is a common disease in America, Europe, and Australia. 

 It is caused by a fungus of the Macrosporium tribe, and is characterised 

 by the appearance of a curl in the leaves of the potato plant at a time 

 wten there is little external evidence of ? any fungus growth. Later 

 the fungus appears on the leaves and stems in the form of dark green 



