515 



orchard trees. The loquat, until lately, was, almost without excep- 

 tion, raised from seeds from locally grown fruit, and the plants were 

 healthy. 



Whether the disease was introduced by imported fruit or on 

 nursery stock, it is not easy to determine. 



This blight is caused by a fungus closely allied to that which 

 produces the scab diseases of apples and pears, and its botanical 

 name is Fusidadium eriobotryal. 



Diseased loquats were first submitted for identification to this 

 Department in 1898. It has since been spreading, and this year it 

 is reported to have done serious damage to the loquat crop in a 

 number of gardens. 



The fruit is attacked, when half grown, by brownish black spots, 

 which soon extend, stop the further development of the fruit, and 

 disfigure its appearance. After a time brown spots show on the 

 leaves, and assume a darker colour. The fleshy part of the fruit 

 becomes dessicated, and the skin seems to cling to the stones. A 

 large proportion of the crop may, in a short space of time, be 

 rendered absolute!} 7 unsaleable. 



REMEDY. Is the disease beyond control? Experiments in 

 that direction have not yet proclaimed that fact ; on the contrary, 

 judging by analogy, and knowing how readily the Fusidadium 

 fungus, or scab of the apple and the pear, and also of the vine, yield 

 to treatment, there is e^ery reason to augur that the black spot of 

 the loquat likewise will be amenable to treatment. 



That treatment must be protective, and cannot be curative, as 

 the fruit once spotted can never be freed of the blemish. 



Spraying with Bordeaux mixture soon after blosoming, when 

 the petals have fallen, and the fruit has just formed, should be found 

 an effective protection. This treatment should be renewed when 

 the fruit is half grown, in the winter, when the weather is likely to 

 remain fine for some time. If necessary, a third spraying, a fortnight 

 after, would copperplate the tree against an attack of the fungus. 



Collect and burn all diseased fruit, and sweep and burn the 

 leaves as they fall from the tree. 



I shall endeavour next year to test the value of Bordeaux 

 mixture, as well as other fungicides, in dealing with this blight. 

 Considering the wetness of the season, when the disease appears, I 

 would favour the Bordeaux mixture modified by addition of molasses, 

 to ensure a better adherence to the trees. 



