INOCULATIONS. 49 



This disease, or one very much like it, also occurs in Kansas. It 

 appeared at Manhattan in 1889, and is now quite prevalent in that 

 locality, but has not been reported from other parts of that State. 



The disease is very destructive in both States. Mr. T. 0. Wells, of 

 Manhattan, Kansas, lost his entire orchard in 2 years. Mr. E. C. Fryer, 

 of Shiloh, Georgia, has lost several orchards, each in a space of about 



3 years. In other parts of Georgia the disease has progressed less 

 rapidly, but no less surely. About Griffin. Georgia, the seedling-peach 

 orchards, and the wild plums have suffered most, but the disease has 

 been in the budded orchards for some time, and is gaining ground 

 every year. Next to peach yellows, I regard it as the most dangerous 

 enemy to peach culture in the United States. In some respects it is 

 worse than yellows, because it runs its course more speedily and is 

 more apt to take the entire tree from the start. Should it become as 

 prevalent in Kansas and Georgia as yellows now is in north Mary- 

 laud and Delaware, profitable peach growing will be entirely out of the 

 question. 



II. INOCULATIONS. 



Experiment 1. One hundred and twenty-five trees were selected for 

 this series of inoculations. They were grown in 1889 by J. D. Husted, 

 Vineyard, Georgia, and formed part of a nursery of several thousand 

 seedlings, which were not budded that year, but were cut to the ground 

 in the spring of 1890, so as to be suitable for budding the following 

 summer. All of them appeared to be healthy and the shoots of the 

 season were vigorous and in good condition for inoculation. The trees 

 selected were the outer five rows in the southeast corner, and were not 

 different in appearance from the rest of the nursery. 



The buds for inoculation came from several 5-year old trees in an 

 orchard on the same farm. These trees were badly diseased in all parts, 

 but were vigorous and free from any sign of disease in 1889. They 

 were dug out and burned soon after the buds were taken, but, judging 

 from the rapid progress of the disease in other trees similarly affected, 

 they would not have lived through the growing season. It was impos- 

 sible to find dormant buds, so I selected, the base of such diseased shoots 

 or rosettes as had pushed only a little way, removing from them all of 

 the foliage. They were cut June 21, 1890, and inserted the same day. 

 two into each tree, in the customary way. The inoculation was skill- 

 fully performed, and an examination two weeks later showed that 

 nearly all of the buds had healed on satisfactorily and were alive. As 

 in Part I, Experiment 2, the tops of the seedlings were purposely 

 allowed to remain. 



Some of these trees began to show signs of disease in August, i. e. t 

 within 2 months, but they were not examined until November 3, i. e., 



4 months and 12 days from the date of inoculation. Then a careful ex- 

 amination revealed the following conditions : Of the 125 seedlings which 



1609 Bull. 1 4 



