ABSTRACTS. 



725 



ture." This is said to be composed of " bluestone Mid lime, with some 



u<l(lc<l ingredient, and made in the same way as Bordeaux." Unfortunately 

 the "added ingredient" is not given, whether sal ammoniac, sulphate of 

 ammonia, or common salt. It certainly is rather peculiar that the 

 M Bulletin" of a Department of Agriculture should so strongly commend one 

 particular form of Bordeaux mixture and retain as a secret the third 

 ingredient — and give no clue to its composition.- M. C, C 



Apples, Cause of Failure in trees. By E. Walker (U.S.A. Exp, 

 Stn. Arkansas, Bull.71, 100*2; 16flgs.). — This bulletin points out the vari- 

 ous causes of death among the Apple-trees in the orchards of Arkansas : 



(l) Unsuitable soil, especially insufficient drainage or depth of soil; ( k 2) 



Planting too closely -from 25 feet to 80 feet apart is recommended ; 

 (3) Neglect of trees when young ; (1) Planting of diseased stock, trees 

 attacked hy woolly aphis or "crown-gall," the latter being due to the 

 presence in the roots of a slime fungus (Dendfovhagus globoSUB) ; (5) 

 Planting of poor stock ; ((>) Sun-scald on exposed trees, caused by the 



direct rays of the sun falling upon the frozen trunks in winter; (7) En- 

 sufficient cultivation of the soil; (8) The Apple 41 rust " caused by one 

 of the UredinecB, e.g. Eoestelia pirata, having its teleutospore stage on 

 Jumperus virginiana, forming the fungus known as (r//muos/)oraua/iw/, 

 macropum, Lk. ; (9) Borers : the beetles Chrysobothris femorata and 

 Saperda Candida are noted as the two worst; (10) Fruit-tree bark beetle 

 (Scolijlns rugulosus); (11) Bad and untimely pruning; (12) Over- 

 bearing; Root- rot caused by the fungi Clytocybe parasitica and 

 Armillaria mellia, which live on decaying wood, invading the roots of 

 Apple and other trees growing near their habitat.— F* J. 0, 



Apple Diseases, Systematic Prevention of. By EL E. Summer , 

 State Entomologist (U.S.A. I /or/. Soc. Iowa, 1001, pp. 49 58). The 

 writer estimates that fully one-fourth or one-third of the value of the 

 Apple crop is annually lost in Iowa from preventable injuries of insects 

 and fungus diseases. Continual foresight is necessary, and should begin 

 with the choice of nursery from which young trees are purchased. Each 

 tree should be examined before planting in order to make sure that 00 

 sign of disease is present. Jn particular it should be seen that the roots 

 are free from (1) woolly aphis (Schizoneurct lanigera), (2) brown gall, 

 (8) nematode worms. These three principally affect roots, and may be 

 readily recognised by the nodular swellings that they produce upon the 

 roots. For the woolly aphis a thorough fumigation with hydrocyanic 

 acid is recommended. 



The entire bark of the tree should also be examined In search of any 

 trace of a scale insect e.g. (1) San .lose Scale, (2) Oyster-shell Scale, 

 (S) Scurfy Scale. The following description is given of these three : 

 San Jose Scale (Aspidiotua pernicifmis), round, gray, with reddish centre ; 

 different sizes ranging from .,\, inch in diameter. Oyster-shell Scab; 

 (Mytilaspis pomortvni), oval, smaller at one end, dark gray or blackish, 

 with well-defined margin, about J inch in length. Scurfy Scale (C/uou- 

 aspis fwrfureus), round, white shading to a dirty grayish-white when old, 

 margins poorly defined, about inch in diameter. 



