LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Plant Industry, 



Office of Chief of Bureau, 

 Washington, D. f., November 25, 1908. 

 Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith a paper entitled "Apple 

 Blotch, a Serious Disease of Southern Orchards," by Messrs. W. M. 

 Scott, Pathologist, and James B. Rorer, Assistant Pathologist, of 

 this Bureau, and recommend its publication as Bulletin No. 144 of 

 the special series of the Bureau of Plant Industry. 



This paper contains the first full account of the apple blotch, which 

 has recently come into prominence as one of the most serious diseases 

 of the southern portion of the apple belt. The life history of the 

 fungus causing the disease has been worked out and the source of the 

 •annual infection determined. 



It has been conclusively shown by the spraying experiments and 

 demonstrations carried on by the Bureau for the past three years in 

 the Ozarks that the disease can be successfully controlled at a nom- 

 inal cost, and the results of this work are reported in this paper. 



The writers wish to acknowledge their indebtedness to the members 

 of the Benton County (Ark.) Horticultural Society for their hearty 

 cooperation in connection with the field work reported upon in this 

 paper. 



Respect fully, B. T. Galloway, 



Chief of Bureau. 



. Hon. James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



o 



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