340 



Cherry Leaf Scorch. 



[SEPT., 



Doddington, Bluetown, &c). In several orchards here the 

 disease, which was noticed first about 1900, has maintained its 

 severity for the past six years, and in many cases trees which 

 if healthy would' now' be in full bearing have had to be grubbed 

 up or grafted. 



Taking the affected area generally, it is found on inquiry 

 that only a very poor crop' of fruit, of frequently no crop' at all, 

 has been obtained from the orchards since they have been 

 affected. This fact has been noticed by the men working 

 regularly among the fruit, who in many districts have told me 

 that no cherries are picked from the orchards " where the dead 

 leaves hang on." The belief is firmly held in nearly all the 

 districts where the disease occurs that the leaves remain 

 attached to the tree as the result of injury due to an early frost 

 in autumn before the wood is properly ripened. As a con- 

 sequence no efforts have been made to remove the real cause 

 of the disease. 



It is usually somewhat difficult to ascertain exactly when 

 the disease first appeared in a district. It is certain that in 

 some places the disease is of long standing. Mr. F. Smith, 

 of Loddington, tells me that he remembers the disease existing 

 at Stockbury and in orchards in the neighbourhood " thirty 

 or forty years ago." In this instance it seems probable that 

 the disease occurred intermittently. In one orchard at 

 Charing Heath the leaves were first noticed to hang on the trees 

 through the winter in 1890 ; the disease increased year by 

 year, and now a number of trees are practically killed. On 

 the other hand, it seems certain that the disease has recently 

 (probably in the years 1900-02) extended its area to a con- 

 siderable extent, and invaded orchards in districts previously 

 free from it. 



In some cases where the orchards are on good deep soil 

 the trees on being attacked have proved able to throw off 

 the disease after a few seasons. On less favourable cherry 

 ground, however, the disease after its appearance recurs 

 annually, weakening the trees and rendering them specially 

 liable to severe attacks of the " brown rot " fungus (Sclero- 

 tinia fructigena). Cherry leaf scorch is not, however, restricted 

 to orchards on poor soil. At Norton, three miles west of 

 Faversham, the disease appeared about six years ago in an 



