I907-] 



Cherry Leaf Scorch. 



339 



of the wood, which consequently becomes dwarfed from want 

 of food; an increasing quantity of dead wood accumulates, 

 and the tree may finally be killed. 



At the present time cherry leaf scorch is seriously affecting 

 orchards in certain districts in Kent. The affected area lies, 

 roughly speaking, within an oval, the bounding line of which 

 runs from Paddock Wood a little east of Maidstone nearly 

 to Sittingbourne, thence a little south of Faversham nearly to 

 Canterbury, and back keeping to the north of Ashford to 

 Paddock Wood. 



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Fig. 4. — (1) Section of a diseased cherry leaf, cutting through the middle of one of the 

 fruit-conceptacles of the fungus ; {a), the cells of the leaf ; {&), the upper surface of the 

 leaf ; (r), the lower surface ;• (d), beak of the conceptacle of the fungus ; (<?), its base. 

 Within the conceptacle can be seen the crowded mass of little sacs {asci). (2) One of 

 the asci more highly magnified, showing the eight winter-spores {ascospoi es) it 

 contains ; also, below, four free ascosfiores. (3) Ascospores germinating after being kept 

 in a decoction of plum-juice for 48 hours. 



The disease is most severe and persistent in orchards on 

 soils inclined to be poor and shallow. It is very prevalent 

 on the Lower Greensand (" ragstone ") range of hills from 

 Pluckley, near Ashford, to Otham, Langley and Leeds. 

 Another district where considerable injury has been inflicted, 

 and where the disease has recurred annually, is the tract of 

 country lying between Lenham and Faversham (Milsted, 



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