Plant-Diseases and Insects. 



117 



ing had been continued longer than necessary ; and the grow- 

 ers had not exercised proper care in sorting the grapes for 

 market. The board of health was also precipitate in its ac- 

 tion. The board, after an investigation, made the following 

 statement, which was given to the press : 



"1. A copper salt is found only upon a very small part of 

 the grapes offered for sale, and the grapes which are to be 

 avoided are easily recognized by the greenish-colored sub- 

 stance upon the berries and stems. 



(( 2. Whenever the substance is apparent upon the berries 

 or stems, the grapes should be washed before they are used 

 as food or in the manufacture of wine. 



t( 3. The board urges all dealers and consignees in this city 

 to advise shippers and consignors of grapes to send no more 

 grapes to this market upon which this substance is apparent. 

 The board further states that it does not object to the use of 

 Bordeaux mixture as recommended by proper authorities ; 

 but such mixture, or any mixture containing poisonous sub- 

 stances, should not be sprayed or otherwise placed upon the 

 grapes immediately before or after they have matured, and 

 should not appear upon them when sent to the market or of- 

 fered for sale." 



The peach-yellows continues to make serious inroads upon 

 the peach industry in many parts of the country. Dr. E. F. 

 Smith, our best authority upon the disease, speaks of it as 

 follows in his last bulletin :* " Peach-yellows is a perplexing 

 and destructive disease. On all hands it is conceded to be 

 one of the most serious with which American fruit-growers 

 have to contend. Formerly this disease was confined to a 

 small district on the Atlantic coast ; but during the last twenty 

 years it has invaded distant regions hitherto free, and has en- 

 tirely ruined the peach industry over very considerable areas. 

 Within ten years the disease has taken a fresh and very strong 

 hold upon orchards in the Delaware and Chesapeake region, 

 the north portion of the peninsula, and has destroyed thou- 

 sands and thousands of trees, rendering a great industry un- 

 profitable or precarious. It seems to be native to the eastern 

 United States, having, so far as we know, not been reported 

 from California. Diligent inquiry, also, has thus far failed 



*Bull. 1, Division Veg. Path. U.S. Dept., Agric.'ir (1891). 



