90 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



BOTANY. 



THE OEAXGE-COLORED ECESTELIA OR QUIXCE RUST. 



Rcestelia auraniiac^ Peck. 



Order Uredinece. 



The following letters were received during last July, inTwhich 



were enclosed quince twigs affected by the above fungus. 



East Northport, Me., ) 

 July 25, 1894. j 



Prof. F. L. Harvey: 



Dear Sir — I enclose a twig from one of my quince bushes, having 

 on it apparently some sort of fungous growth. On some of my bushes 

 this has appeared numerously. It must be very injurious if allowed 

 to grow. Will you please give me your opinion of it? In my 

 limited reading on quince culture I have come across no reference 



to such a disease. Respectfully, 



M. B. Whiting. 



We wrote 'Mv. Whiting regarding the nature of the disease and 

 below is given his interesting reply : 



East Northport, Me., July 31, 1894. 

 Prof. F. L. Harvey : 



Dear Sir — Please accept my thanks for xevy full description of 

 quince disease contained in yours of 27th inst. I knew of the 

 rust, but was not before aware that it took the form of an excres- 

 cence on the twigs. In this case the cause of infection is undoubt- 

 edly to be traced to my cedar hedge, which extends in front of 

 house, the quince is growing behind the house and separated from 

 the hedge by it. The quince bushes are young, having been set 

 only last year. The fungus did not appear until th's season. The 

 cedar, however, has no fungus on it, and its foliage is almost 

 entirely free from rust or those dead, discolored twigs, which I 

 presume is rust. I think it may be, as you suggest, that my quinces 

 were already affected when I received them, as most of the Geneva, 

 New York, nurseries, whence they came, grow arbor vitae. I had 

 intended to go quite extensively into quince culture, as I think, 

 barring disease, it could be made a success here ; but unless I can 

 prevent the rust of course it will be useless for me to attempt it. 



