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lecture by Dr. M. T. Cook on "Peach Yellows and Methods of 

 their Control." Professor Cook briefly traced the history of 

 the disease from the earliest times to the present. He showed 

 that whereas the problem Avas formerly considered a trivial matter 

 it is now recognized as one of the most profound subjects which 

 presents itself to the plant pathologist. The peach yellows and a 

 closely related disease, little peach, are of considerable menace 

 to the peach growing industry in the east. This is due to the 

 fact that these diseases cannot be detected in their earlier stages 

 and consequently nurserymen and growers are continually 

 propagating by budding from infected stock. 



A most peculiar phenomenon is the appearance of the external 

 morphological symptoms of peach yellows in trees that have been^ 

 injured, girdled, or neglected. The leaves become leathery, 

 curl, and usually fold at the midrib. The blossoms appear 

 earlier and likewise the fruit. The infected peach is generally 

 speckled and insipid. The one character which enables the 

 horticulturalist to make certain the presence of peach yellows 

 is the witches-broom effect of the twigs in winter. This character 

 is absent from trees suffering from injury or little peach disease. 



At present there is no cure for peach yellows or little peach, 

 and the only remedial measures taken to prevent the spread of 

 the diseases are quarantine, and the destruction of infected trees. 

 Dr. Cook hopes that within a short time he will be able to give 

 the nurserymen and growers simple tests for detecting the 

 diseases in their earlier stages. 



Meeting adjourned. Michael Levine, 



Secretary pro tem. 



NEWS ITEMS 



Dr. Britton, accompanied by Mrs. Britton, Mr. John F. Cowell, 

 Director of the Buffalo Botanical Garden and Mr. Frank E. 

 Lutz of the American Museum of Natural History, sailed for 

 Porto Rico on February 7 to continue studies of the botany and 

 zoology of that island in cooperation with the New York Academy 

 of Sciences. The party will make Mayagiiez a base of operations 



