DISEASES 



219 



severely attacked, the trees are almost denuded of foliage by May. 

 Cool, wet weather is favorable to the development and spread of 

 scab infections, and for this reason it is most active in early spring 

 and the rainy periods of summer. 



Treatment. Destructive as the disease may be, it yields readily 

 to control measures. Preventive measures are the surest, but they 



Fig. 9S. Scab developed in storage. (University of Maine) 



must be applied at precisely the right time to be of maximum 

 value. It is next to impossible to check the defoliation of the tree 

 and the scabbing of the fruit when it has gained a good start and 

 the weather conditions are propitious for its continuance. Safety 

 lies in being forearmed against the enemy. 



The commercial lime-sulphur, diluted in the proportion of 2 gal- 

 lons to 50 gallons of water, gives best results. Atomic sulphur 



