CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE. 393 
shown in some of the peach orchards in the Hudson Valley. 
* * * The dying of the trees (afterwards) at such unusual 
and irregular times gave rise to much alarm among the fruit 
growers in some localities. It was feared that a virulent attack 
of the yellows had broken out, or some new and serious disease 
had become prevalent.” 
Whetzel, of the Cornell, N. Y., Station (Bull. 236, p. 133), 
says concerning a supposed outbreak of the bacterial blight 
of apple in that state: “Anything that reduces the general 
vitality of the tree tends to render it more susceptible to attack 
of the bacteria. I have already referred to the apparent effect 
of low temperature in relation to this disease in the Hudson 
River region. A long growing season during 1902, with exces- 
sive rain, followed by a sudden and extreme fall of temperature 
early in December, is referred to by growers in that section as 
the beginning of the injury to their orchards. The winter that 
followed was a severe one, with sudden and severe changes of 
temperature during the eafly days of the spring of 1903. Many 
trees failed to leaf out, and large cankers were now observed 
on limbs and bodies of dead and dying trees. The general 
conclusion at once prevailed that these dead spots were the 
direct results of these weather conditions. * * * I am there- 
fore of the opinion that many of the trees in the Hudson River 
Valley and about Kirkville were cankered prior to the winter 
of 1902-03. The severe weather no doubt weakened the trees 
yet free from the disease, thus rendering them more susceptible 
to attack during the summer of 1903. * * * The winter of 
1903-04 was also a severe one, and no doubt added to the sum 
of the injury already produced. To just what extent the 
winter injury in this section is responsible for the death of the 
trees is a question. In certain cases it was very evident that 
the trees had died from this cause.” This statement shows that 
Whetzel recognized the importance of these winter injuries, 
though apparently he made a mistake in considering blight the 
major cause of the trouble. 
Stone, of the Massachusetts Station (Report 20, p. 123), also 
says: “In previous reports attention has been called to some 
of these troubles, more particularly to the extensive winter 
killing which caused so much injury during the winter of 
1903-04, at which time thousands of trees and shrubs were 
