RUST 



193 



ground deep before planting or while the trees are 

 young, so roots will develop far below the surface, 

 the shallow feeders then being pruned in winter. 

 Such pruning will stimulate deeper growth, and 

 when done during warm spells of weather assists in 

 keeping the tops dormant. An experienced fruit 

 grower can trim the surface feeders around the 

 crown with a sharp, narrow hatchet, without re- 

 moving any soil, the blade communicating through 

 the handle just what is going on below, and after 

 learning the habits of these trees he can proceed 

 very rapidly without danger of injury. 



LEAF RUST. 



(Uredo fici.) 



This trouble has not assumed serious conditions 

 until recently. It appears in round brownish dots 

 on the foliage, closing the breathing pores and re- 

 sulting in premature dropping of leaves. It is 

 usually dormant until after the fruiting season, but 

 the tendency now is to find it earlier in the summer. 

 Growers are practically agreed that 5-5 Bordeaux 

 mixture is an inexpensive and efficient treatment, 

 not only holding the trouble in check, but eradicat- 

 ing it in two or three seasons. A glance at leaf 

 structure will show how rust injures the plant. The 

 accompanying cut is diagramatic only to illustrate 

 the stomata, or breathing pores of leaves under a 

 magnifying glass, and the cells which wither and 



