508 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



On the fruit, the appearance of the disease is not always the 

 same. It may appear in the form of definite localized sunken 

 lesions, or there may be a general rot of the whole fruit. However, 

 these two forms can only be looked upon as extremes of the same 

 thing, as there are all gradations between them. The lesions are 

 in most respects similar to those formed upon the apple by the same 

 fungus. The lesions which are sunken discolored spots on the sur- 

 face of the fruit, are at first small, but rapidly increase in size and 

 bear, as a rule, many pink, slimy masses of spores. If the fruit does 

 not become diseased until it nearly reaches maturity, it will gener- 

 ally drop off the tree, shortly after the lesions begin to develop. 

 However, if the disease attacks the fruit in a young stage of its 

 development, it will frequently cause a drying up of the latter while 

 it is still on the tree. These hard dried mummies hang on the trees 

 for some time, part of them being still on the trees wrien the next 

 crop sets in the following spring. The fungus remains alive on 

 these mummies and is continually producing spores. 



The leaf petioles and leaf blades occasionally also become in- 

 fected with the disease, but the spots and lesions on these parts are 

 not very abundant. The fungus also grows on dead parts of the 

 fig tree, in wounds in the trunk, and in old cankers on the branches 

 which were originally formed by the fig canker fungus. The an- 

 thracnose, however, is unable to produce cankers by itself on branches 

 of the fig tree, as it does on apple trees. But its ability to grow and 

 fruit on dead parts of the host is of great aid in keeping itself alive 

 during periods when the fruit is not abundant on the trees. These 

 dead parts of the tree and the mummies which hang on until spring 

 are the principal sources of infection for the new crop of fruit. 



No experimental work on the control of the disease has been 

 conducted. But there are certain points which should be borne in 

 mind by anyone contemplating raising figs on a large scale. The 

 control of this disease on susceptible varieties would be very hard to 

 accomplish. Perhaps the frequent use of some good spray would 

 decrease the anthracnose rot to some extent, but it is very doubtful 

 if spraying would be a paying proposition on account of the large 

 rainfall which we have in this state. Perhaps the best method to 

 keep this disease in check with susceptible varieties would be the 

 careful removal of all sources of infection. This would include the 

 removal of all of the old dried up fig mummies on the trees in the 

 fall, and also the careful cutting away of all of the dead limbs 

 and twigs. 



But the most practical means of control is by the use of resist- 

 ant varieties. Fortunately, the Celeste fig, the one that is most 

 frequently planted, is very resistant. Unless a man has some good 

 reason for growing some of the other figs, it would be much better 

 for him to confine himself to the Celeste, Reine Blanche, or to some 

 of the other fairly resistant varieties. Some of these varieties are a 

 sure crop, producing some fruit no matter what the season may be. 

 (La. E. S. B. 126.) 



