ORCHARD NOTES. 71 



apple scab. Others have referred to it as a parasite on the scab 

 fungus. Eustace maintains, however, that " there is absolutely 

 no connection between the two. The only part that the scab had 

 in the matter was that it ruptured the epidermis (skin) of the 

 apple, thus making an entrance for this fungus to grow into the 

 tissue and cause the rot." 



A distinctive characteristic of this disease is that the decayed 

 spots are rather dry and corky, and not very deep. Apples thus 

 affected might, in some cases, be used for evaporating, as the 

 diseased portion could be removed in paring ; but because of the 

 bitter character of the rot, affected fruit would be worthless for 

 cider. 



The disease is specially destructive to stored fruit, the 

 " sweating " of the fruit furnishing just the right conditions for 

 its rapid development. Eustace reports that : " It was notice- 

 able that the fruit in the bottom of large bins, such as are used 

 about cider mills and drying houses, would become one mass 

 of decay if allowed to remain there longer than a few days." * 

 It was in stored fruit that the loss before mentioned occurred in 

 Maine. 



As is well known, the " scab " is ever with us, and growers 

 have become accustomed to its disfiguring presence ; but with 

 the advent of this destructive secondary enemy, the impor- 

 tance of warding off the attack of both becomes imperative. 

 Thorough spraying with Bordeaux mixture is the only safe 

 means of preventing this trouble. 



Effect of an Unbalanced Ration? 



In 1904 an obscure disease affected the fruit of certain trees 

 in the orchard of Mr. Chas. S. Pope, Manchester. No similar 

 trouble had ever come under the notice of the writer and this 

 note is made simply as a matter of record. A careful study of 

 the cause of the condition described is being carried on at the 

 present time. 



In August, when about the size of walnuts, the fruits began 

 to crack and to drop. Marked indentations, somewhat similar to 

 those made by curculio, were abundant. No evidence of insect 

 work could be discovered, however. When the fruit was 

 opened, the tissue under the indented parts was found to be dry 



* Bui. 227, N. y. Expt. sta., 373. 



