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its kind. Consequently, a cherry, peach or plum covered 

 with thousands of these little brown rot spores is able to 

 spread this disease broadcast among the fruit. Peach 

 trees have a disease known as leaf curl and its name de- 

 scribes it so well that little more need be said except that 

 the leaves turn yellow and fall so early in the season that 

 a new set appears. 



The most serious disease of pear trees, and one which 

 also attacks quinces, and some varieties of apples, is known 

 as pear blight. This is a bacterial disease entering the 

 tree through the blossoms and growing tips and causing 

 the leaves to turn brown. ' They do not, however, fall from 

 the tree. 



An entire lesson might well be spent in studying apple 

 diseases and insect enemies, but if we are to take time to 

 learn anything of the appearance of some of the insect 

 pests of the other fruits, we can only describe briefly two 

 of the most prevalent diseases of the apple. The most 

 destructive disease of this fruit is the apple scab, attack- 

 ing both leaves and fruit, and causing dark gray or 

 blackish scab-like spots, distorting the leaves and cracking 

 the young fruit. Usually both leaves and fruit drop off 

 early. It appears when the trees are in bloom and unless 

 checked will continue its destructive work throughout the 

 early part of the summer. 



Bitter rot is a disease which is most common in the - 

 southernstates.althouofhitdoes terrible damac^e in southern 

 Illinois during some seasons. It confines itself to the 

 fruit and branches of the tree and does not appear on the 

 leaves. It may not be noticed on the fruit until just be- 

 fore harvest time, and then the entire crop may be lost in 

 a day or two. The disease causes light brown patches on 

 the surface of the fruit, the center of which is specked 



