108 
Daring 1887, 1888, aud 1889, this fungus was rare in the great peach 
region between the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. Often weeks 
passed without my seeing a single affected leaf, although I spent much 
of my time in the orchards. This struck me the more forcibly because 
in Michigan I had formerly observed the curl to be common every 
spring. This season, on the contrary, it could be collected in any 
peninsular orchard. In one only, however, did I find it serious. This 
was an old, abandoned orchard in sod ground, pastured. Here in May 
nearly every leaf was white, thick, and distorted, and many were fall¬ 
ing. At a distance the foliage was not green, but yellowish white. 
Younger cultivated orchards on the same farm were nearly free. 
PLUM TAPHRINA. 
Iii Maryland and Georgia this disease was also very prevalent on 
Prunus Ghicasa and its cultivated varieties. I have been accustomed 
to call this fungus T. pruni, but the injuries differ somewhat from those 
I have seen on Prunus Americana in the North and West. This fungus 
is much more inclined to thicken, distort, and unite the leaves and 
growing shoots. The a plutn pockets” are also absent. The fruits 
often suffer, but the fungus generally attacks only one side, forming a 
hard, solid spot, which ripens imperfectly. From what I saw in the 
plum orchards of Georgia, aud was told, this fungus is an enemy of 
some importance in that region. Is it specifically distinct from the 
pocket forming sort? 
PLUM BLIGHT. 
A peculiar disease, now prevalent several years, in a large plum 
orchard of native sorts at Griffin, Ga., deserves further study. 
This disease destroys large branches or whole trees in midsummer in 
the course of a few weeks. I saw many fine trees of bearing age en¬ 
tirely ruined. The foliage was drying up as if scorched, or as if the 
limb or body had been girdled. No fungous or insect enemies were 
observed, and there were no mechanical injuries. The surface bark on 
the trunk aud base of the main limbs was smooth, unbroken, and 
usually normal in appearance, but upon cutting into it I always found 
large dead patches which sometimes entirely girdled the trunk or 
branch. These were often several inches wide by 1 or 2 feet long. 
Evidently the sudden drying and death of the remoter parts is due to 
interference in the circulation brought about by the presence of these 
bark injuries. Their origin, however, is still a mystery. There did not 
appear to be any injuries below ground. Indeed the injured trees 
usually sprout again vigorously from the earth. 
The loss this year in an orchard of about G,()00 bearing trees amounted 
to more than 5 per cent. The owner said 10 per cent. The loss last 
year was nearly as great. 
