DISEASES OF TREE AND FRUIT 139 



ture has a very considerable fungicidal effect, and 

 that when thoroughly applied in early spring before 

 the opening of the buds, as is the proper practice in 

 fighting the scale, the leaf curl will be greatly 

 checked. Thorough annual sprayings of this char- 

 acter will practically cut the leaf curl out of the 

 list of dangerous orchard troubles. 



BROWN ROT 



The brown rot appears most prominently on the 

 fruit, but attacks also the flowers, buds, twigs and 

 foliage. It is due to a well-known fungus and can 

 usually be prevented by proper spraying. 



It is conspicuous on the fruit which it attacks 

 late in the growing season, usually about the period 

 of maturity. It often works on the fruit even after 

 it is picked and sent to market. It shows on the 

 fruit in the form of small brown spots which enlarge 

 rapidly, causing the whole fruit to decay. During 

 warm damp weather the disease is very severe, 

 often destroying an entire crop just when it is ready 

 to pick or when it is already picked and on its way 

 to market. Fruits left on the tree dry and shrivel. 

 Many hang on the tree all winter, while others fall 

 to the ground. The fungus remains dormant in 

 dried fruits as well as' in the twigs of the tree, and 

 from these sources the infection spreads the follow- 

 ing year. 



Spraying with the ordinary remedies will do much 

 to check the ravages of this disease, providing the 

 work is begun early. Sprayings with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture should be given first before the buds open, 

 second before the blossoms open and third a week 

 after the blossoms fall. Recent experiments seem to 

 show, however, that the weak solutions of self- 



