PRUNE AND CHERRY BROWN-ROT IN THE NORTHWEST. at: 
The more important applications are printed in black-faced type, 
and the more effective and safest spray materials for use in each ap- 
plication are likewise indicated where any difference has been shown 
to exist. A spreader should be combined with the fungicide in each 
application, particularly the third and fourth. Casein spreaders may 
be used with any of the sprays above mentioned, but rosin-fishoil soap 
- can not be used with lme-sulphur. 
This entire schedule is required for complete insurance against 
brown-rot, and it may occasionally be necessary to put on an emer- 
gency application in case of unusually damp and rainy weather. 
SUMMARY. 
This bulletin reports the results of five-years’ investigation of 
brown-rot of prunes and sweet cherries as it occurs in the lower Co- 
lumbia and Willamette Valleys. | 
No evidence was found that the disease was carried over the 
winter by twig cankers or by mummies remaining on the tree. 
Apothecia were abundant in the uncultivated prune orchards, aris- 
ing in most cases from prunes that were but partly buried or that 
were in the first 2 or 3 inches of soil, but sometimes traced to prunes 
that were buried to a depth of 5 inches. 
Apothecia were found on Black Republican cherries. This ap- 
pears to be the first instance in which the apothecial stage has been 
reported on cherries. 
Blossom infection always occurred on both prunes and cherries, 
sometimes destroying a third to a half of the young prunes and even 
a higher percentage of the cherries. Applications of spray just 
before the blossoms opened and just after the petals had fallen de- 
creased the blossom infection. The losses from blossom infection 
sometimes resulted in a decreased crop, but in other cases the set of 
fruit on the sprayed and unsprayed trees was evened up by later 
“drops.” 
Lime-sulphur frequently caused severe spray injury on prunes, and 
Bordeaux mixture also sometimes caused injury. Both Bordeaux 
mixture and self-boiled lime-sulphur resulted in smaller sized sweet 
cherries. 
It was found necessary to add calcium caseinate or rosin-fishoil 
soap to the spray materials in order to secure satisfactory spreading 
and sticking qualities on the fruit. 
During the period of the experiments there was never a serious 
epidemic of brown-rot in the orchards in which the tests were made, 
but the disease often caused heavy losses in neighboring unsprayed 
orchards. All the various standard spray materials were found 
fairly efficient in holding the disease in check. An application of 
spray three to five weeks before picking time was found particularly 
valuable. 
Holding and shipping tests showed that orchard spraying may 
be of great value in improving the keeping quality of fruit even 
when the amount of disease in the orchard is practically neghgiole. 
