82 
April, 1890. 
f ORCHARD JanHi ORRDEN 
COXDTCTED BT PROF. F. LiMSON SCRIBNER. 
Botanist. Experiment Station. Knoxville, Tenn. 
Hotel and Queries About Fungi. 
The "Fungi" Department is designed to 
tell the readers of Orchard & Garden 
about the fungi which injure their fruit 
trees or garden plants and how these inju- 
ries may be prevented if remedies are 
known. There are many kinds of fungi 
which attack our crops, and no one engaged 
in gardening or fruit growing can fail to 
be interested in them. The question. How 
may these pests be destroyed? is often a 
matter of dollars and cents — of bread or no 
bread — to the producer. 
We will continue to tell « hat is known of 
these plant pests or what we may learn 
through our own observations, and to make 
the matter of the fullest practical « alue and 
interest we invite our readers to communi- 
cate to us their experience or present quer- 
ies relative to the diseases which may affect 
the plants they are most particularly inter- 
ested in. 
These plant diseases are usually referred 
to as rust, blight, mildew, etc., and while 
these terms serve to convey some idea of 
the nature of the disease, they are really 
vague in meaning, for each may result from 
varied causes. Send us samples of the 
affected plants with as full notes as possible 
as to wh n the disease first appeared, its 
special manifestations and to wliat extent 
it is injurious. Replies, and the notes of 
interest which may thus be brought to- 
gether, will be presented in these columns 
for the benefit of all. 
Dotted or Speekled Anthracnoie of tbe 
Vine. 
We have several times had our attention 
called to a special disease of the vine — a 
form of Anthracnose which the French 
name " Anthracnose ponctuee” in distinction 
from " Anthracnose maalee,” the disease 
which we have simply termed Anthracnose. 
Dotted Anthracnose is common throughout 
Europe, and in this country throughout the 
vine-growing regions east of the Rocky 
Mountains. It attacks all varieties of vines, 
both wild and cultivated, but more partic- 
ularly Vitis riparia and Vitis rupestris and 
the varieties originating from these species. 
In nearly all vineyards which we have vis- 
ited in the Middle and Eastern States we 
have noted the presence of this disease, but 
had been led to consider it of little import- 
ance. It appears, however, that under some 
circumstances it may occasion considerable 
injury to the vines, and vineyardists should 
learn to recognize and distinguish it from 
other vine diseases. 
Last December we received from Col. 
Pearson, of Vineland, N. J., some vine 
shoots diseased with the form of Anthrac- 
nose we are here discussing. Respecting 
the disease, Col. Pearson says in a letter 
accompanying the specimens : “It infests 
principally the Iron-clads, though I ob- 
served some of it on other vines. It is 
spreading from vine to vine and from row 
to row. Where it prevails worst the most 
of the top hamper of the vine is killed. I 
think it is somewhat allied to Anthracnose, 
as where this has been worst it is -worst.” 
Comparing these shoots with specimens 
affected with “Anthracnose ponctuee” re- 
ceived from France (sent us by Prof. Viala), 
it was at once apparent that they were 
affected by the same malady. Additional 
specimens from Col. Pearson serve only to 
confirm the identity of the disease. Very 
recently we have had similar specimens, 
though less badly diseased, from a vineyard 
near Knoxville, the variety affected in this 
case being the Concord. 
External Characters of the Disease. 
Our figure (Fig. 269), drawn from a spec- 
imen received from Prof. Viala, gives a fair 
idea of the appearance of an affected shoot, 
although the dots are frequently much 
more numerous, as was the case with many 
of the samples from Vineland. Any part 
of the annual growth is subject 
to the disease — the green shoots, 
leaves, flower-clusters and fruit. 
It first appears as dark, shining 
purplish - brown and slightly 
raised spots, hardly so large as 
the head of a common pin. These 
finally become black, and on the 
ripened wood are usually de- 
pressed in the centre, which re- 
sults from the breaking rf the 
cuticle. They do not increase 
much in size, but where they are 
very numerous they often run 
together or coalesce, forming 
very dark blotches of greater or 
less extent. The surface of these 
blotches is usually smooth and 
shining, and they occur most fre- 
quently on the side of the shoot most ex- 
posed to the light. 
When the vines are severely attacked 
during the growing season, the growth of 
the primary shoots is checked, causing the 
production of a great number of lateral or 
secondary shoots, and there is generally a 
weakening of the foliage indicated by its 
paler and often yellowish hue. The leaves 
themselves are rarely attacked directly; 
when they are attacked, however, the dis- 
ease appears on the nerves, never on the 
soft tissue between the nerves. When the 
disease attacks the young flower clusters, 
coulure, or blighting of the flower buds, fre- 
quently results, and it is in such cases that 
this form of Anthracnose becomes most seri- 
ous. 
Microscopical Characters. — We have 
only examined microscopically diseased, 
ripened shoots, like that shown in Fig. 269. 
Making an exceedingly thin section through 
the points of disease and examining the 
section under the compound microscope, 
we find a dense fungus growth of dark- 
FIG. 269. 
colored mycelium, which sometimes slight- 
lv protrudes through the broken cuticle at 
the apex of the dots. Mycelium of the 
same character is often seen extending for 
some little distance around the dots, be- 
tween the cuticle and epidermis. The fun- 
gus is for the most pirt confined to the 
outermost layers of the bark, only very 
rarely is it seen in the inner or deeper lay- 
ers. In Fig. 270 is shown a small section 
fig. 270. 
through one of the dot=, the dark heavy 
lines indicatingthe appearance and extent of 
growth of the fungus just as we saw it. The 
fungus was not in fruit and we had no means 
of identifying it, but it certainly appears to 
us to be wholly distinct from the fungus 
which causes the better known form of 
Anthracnose. Prof. Viala believes and 
thinks he has determined the matter con- 
clusively by actual experiment, that An- 
thracnose maculee and Anthracnose ponctuee 
are caused by the same parasite in different 
stages of its development, and this may be 
the case ; very little is known of the life 
history of these fungi Severe cases of 
Dotted Anthracnose sometimes result in the 
destruction of the bark and production of 
deep scars in the young wood, as often hap- 
pens with ordinary Anthracnose. The effect 
of the latter on the fruit — causing Bird’s- 
eye rot — is always far more serious than 
that of the former. Both attack the same 
varieties of vines, but Dotted Anthracnose 
appears to require much less moisture for 
its development. The treatment for both is 
the same, viz.: Bathe or wash the vines 
while dormant with a 50 per cent, solution 
of sulphate of iron, and during the growing 
season, if the disease appears, dust the vines 
with a mixture of lime and sulphur in 
equal parts. 
Cracking of Pear Frnlt. 
The fungus which causes the blight of 
the leaves and cracking of the fruit of the 
pear may now be regarded as under the 
‘control of the copper solutions. The pre- 
vention of this pear fungus, Entomosporium 
maculatum, is, perhaps, of greater advan- 
tage in the nursery than in the orchard. 
Where the disease is epidemic in the nursery 
it places a veto upon the budding and graft- 
ing of young pear stocks. The leaves are 
destroyed just when their aid is essential 
to the vitality of the bud or cion. By 
spraying the nursery rows every three 
weeks, during the season of growth, with 
the Bordeaux mixture, the leaves are pre- 
served in health and the success of the 
grafter’s labor is assured. — C ol. A. W. 
Pearson, in Forest and Garden. 
Mr. A. Huton, of Mound City, 111., re- 
ports that with him the Champion suffered 
more from rot thaD either Moore’s Early, 
Hartford Prolific or Martha, 
