The Apple 



59 



it also reduces in size and disfigures in form and appear- 

 ance (Fig. iT). It also affects the foliage and younger 

 twigs, and sometimes the 

 flowers, even destroying the 

 fruit spurs in severe cases. 



This disease is propa- 

 gated from spores blown 

 about by the wind, which 

 germinate under favorable 

 conditions of warmth and 

 moisture. It is most de- 

 structive in warm and wet 

 weather, and in locatioDS 



Fig. 17. Apples affected with scab (the that favOr a moist atmOS- 



dark spots). (After Lamson-Scribner.) phere, as in densely-planted 

 orchards or on branches that hang near the ground. 



Preventive measures. The free circulation of air among 

 the trees and branches of the orchard promotes a dry at- 

 mosphere and tends to prevent germination of the spores 

 of the scab fungus, and to retard the progress of the dis- 

 ease. Spraying the foliage with Bordeaux mixture greatly 

 reduces damage from the scab in wet seasons. The first 

 spraying should be given before the blossoms open, to be 

 followed by a second after the petals fall, and a third about 

 a fortnight later. In very wet seasons, sprayings should 

 be more frequent. Good culture, proper manuring and 

 pruning do much to reduce damage from the scab fungus. 



64. Bitter rot, also called "ripe rot" and "bird's-eye 

 rot" {GlceosporiuiH friidigenum) is a fungous disease that 

 affects the pome fruits and the grape, especially the apple, 

 on which it is often very destructive in south and south- 

 west United States. It occurs as the fruit approaches 



