I40 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Another fungus disease which often troubles our grapes is 

 the anthracnose. This disease is well known, and can be suc- 

 cessfully controlled by the use of the same remedy that is 

 employed in treating the black rot ; simply by spraying four or 

 five times during the season with Bordeaux mixture. 



Finally the brown rot of peaches, plums and cherries is pro- 

 duced by a thread-like fungus Alonilia fructigena. As the name 

 of this disease indicates, the affected fruits assume a brown 

 color, but in a short time the surfaces of the diseased fruits 

 become gray or ash-colored. This is due to the formation of 

 the spores of this fungus. As soon as these newly- formed 

 spores find suitable conditions, they germinate and produce 

 slender, thread-like structures which penetrate the tissue of the 

 peach, cherry, plum, etc., causing a diseased spot to appear 

 within a few hours. The fungus needs no assistance from 

 insects or other agents in penetrating the surface of the fruit. 

 When once within the tissues of the fruit, the fungus grows 

 rapidly and produces a new set of spores in from thirty-six to 

 forty-eight hours, or even in a shorter time' under favorable 

 weather conditions. The rapidity with which this fungus grows 

 and produces spores accounts for the great amount of damage 

 that it may produce in a short time. It should further be noted 

 that this fungus is capable of living over the winter in the 

 diseased fruits that are allowed to remain over in the orchard, 

 so that when the warm, moist days of spring come the fungi 

 that have lain dormant in the decayed and partially dried fruits, 

 renew their activity and produce new spores. These spores, 

 like those of the previous year, are carried by the wind or other 

 agencies onto the limbs and branches of the trees. With these 

 facts in regard to the life history of this fungus established, the 

 all important question is, What steps should be taken for the 

 suppression and control of this pest? First, all partially dried 

 or mummified fruits, as they are usually called, whether on the 

 tree or on the ground, should be gathered and burned. This 

 should be done in the fall or winter, the earlier the better. It 

 is recommended by some that these fruits be buried, but it is 

 always far safer to burn them as soon as gathered. Second, 

 the fruit should be properly thinned. In no case should two or 

 more fruits be allow^ed to remain in contact with each other, 

 since the point of contact furnishes an excellent place for mois- 



