B. P. I.— 60. V. P. P. I.— 102. 



THE BITTER ROT OF APPLES. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The bitter rot or ripe rot of apples has for many years formed one 

 of the most serious enemies of this fruit. It made its first appearance 

 in the United States before 1867, according to Curtis's catalogue, but 

 it was not specifically described until 1874:, when M. J. Berkeley and 

 M. A. Curtis published the first descriptive notice concerning its occur- 

 rence in America. With the increasing number of apple orchards 

 throughout the central belt of States, its range and destructive action 

 have steadily increased. 



The bitter rot is a disease of the ripening fruit, which appears late 

 in the summer, affecting whole orchards at once and destroying vast 

 quantities of fruit when it is almost ready for marketing. Estimates 

 of the loss resulting to apple growers from the ravages of the bitter 

 rot in various sections of the country have been made repeatedly. 



The bibliograph} r beginning on page 46 of this bulletin gives in full 

 the titles to which the short citations of authorities in the text of this 

 paper may be referred. 



A few statements from various sources will show what this pest is 

 capable of doing: 



This orchard that appears so vigorous and healthy is almost worthless. Last year 

 it had at least 1,000 bushels of apples on, and the proprietor did not get a bushel of 

 winter apples. The bitter rot blasts them like the breath of ruin, and the promise 

 of spring ends in disappointment and decay. * * * This orchard was in its prime 

 from the time it was 8 until it was 18 or 19 years old. For ten or eleven years it 

 gave most bounteous returns and produced wagonloads of the finest fruit. It then 

 began to decline. The fruit commenced to speck, and the evil increased until the 

 trees are little more than an incumbrance on the ground. (Murray, 1870.) 



An Arkansas man relates his experience as follows: 



The man from whom I purchased my place told me that the Fameuse had always 

 been subject to the rot. For the last three years the disease has steadily increased, 

 so that this year (1887) my old orchard of 75 trees wiil not yield 25 bushels of sound 

 apples. (Galloway, 1887.) 



In 1900 it was estimated that the loss in four counties of Illinois for 

 that season was $1,500,000. (Burrill and Blair, 1902.) 



9 



