The Aj)jple. Gl 



tion of the wood is often laid bare, but the dead bark also 

 frequently clings tenaciously to the decaying wood. The 

 progress of the disease may be marked by numerous pits 

 or scars, which are usually circular in form and may be 

 outlined by two or more concentric lines. The fungus ex- 

 tends down from diseased branches, or from canker spots at 

 the forks of the tree, destroying large areas of bark and 

 exposing the wood in ugly wounds in aggravated cases. A 

 majority of cankers start from some mechanical injury. 



The presence of the fungus in a newly infected limb is 

 indicated by a small area of discolored bark, which extends 

 slowly in all directions as the fungus grows. 



Preventive measures. Cankered limbs should be cut out 

 and burned wherever practicable. Thorough spraying with 

 Bordeaux mixture at the times recommended for the scab 

 fungus (63) tends to prevent new infection. Wounds in the 

 bark should be promptly painted, or coated with grafting 

 wax. Scraping the loose bark from the trunk and larger 

 branches of bearing trees, following with a coat of white- 

 wash tends to prevent the sj)read of the disease. 



66, Picking and packing apples. Apples are fit to pick 

 when the seeds have assumed a uniform brown color. The 

 earlier varieties, when picked for a distant market, may be 

 gathered a little before this stage. As a rule, early pick- 

 ing tends to long keeping. 



Several devices for picking are on the market, but these 

 are of little use except for reaching apples that cannot be 

 reached by hand. 



Apples are commonly packed in barrels holding two and 

 three-fourths to three bushels. In some states, the size of 

 the package is regulated by law. Choice apples of early 

 varieties are sometimes marketed in bushel or one-half 



