STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 53 



may be more profitable when the plants begin to fail to renew them 

 by planting on new land rather than to attempt to remedy the diffi- 

 culty in any other way. 



Rots. Many of our fruits when partially grown are attacked by 

 fungous growth which we call rots. This is especially the case with 

 the grape, plum, peach, tomatoes, etc. 



The parasites which cause this destruction are similar in habit of 

 growth to those causing mildew and rusts. They develop in warm, 

 wet weather, and often spread so rapidly at the time when the fruit 

 is approaching maturity as to destroy entire crops in a few days. 

 Like all other growths of a similar nature they are dependent upon 

 the conditions of the atmosphere and about the only thing we can 

 do to prevent its ravages is to secure a healthy rather slow growth, 

 and plant where there will be a full exposure of the foliage and fruit 

 to sunlight and air, nature's two most powerful antiseptics. 



FUNGICIDES. 



In discussing the remedies for the destruction of the injurious 

 parasites which are everywhere causing so much loss to our fruit 

 growers I have said nothing about fungicides, or substances which 

 may be applied for their destruction. I have not done this from the 

 fact that so little is at present known upon the subject. During the 

 past few years the agricultural department at Washington have con- 

 ducted a series of experiments under the direction of Prof. F. L. 

 Scribner and his assistants, in the use of sulphate of copper with 

 various combinations for the destruction of mildew and black rot on 

 the grape. The results so far as reported are very promising and if 

 further experiments shall prove that this comparatively inexpensive 

 and harmless substance will destroy two so destructive fungi, we 

 may hope for equally good lesults in its use for other parasitic fungi 

 of a similar nature. 



The experiments above referred to are reported in the last annual 

 of the department and in numerous special bulletins of the past 

 season. The same department has also made numerous experhnents 

 with various insecticides for tiie destruction of injurious insects with 

 very promising results. In both cases the applications are made in 

 water and in many cases at about the same season of the year so 

 that the two may probably be combined, thus reducing the labor and 

 cost very materially. As an example of this, it has been found that 

 the codling moth may be largely destroyed by spraying the trees 



