374 
ruit, and. the foliage was dwarfed, distorted, and blackened to an extent 
never before observed, and to such a degree that the trees made a fee¬ 
ble growth, were much injured, and bore no fruit the following year. 
In September the leaves of whole orchards in southern Michigan 
looked as if tire had run over them, and some of the trees seemed ready 
to die. Both in New York and Michigan the disease was correlated 
with many weeks of almost continuous rainy weather, commencing in 
early spring before the trees blossomed. It is not known just what 
destroyed the apple crop, but the almost universal failure of the trees 
to set fruit was attributed to the rainy weather. The failure to set 
fruit in 1893 is almost certainly attributable to the physiological 
derangements of the preceding year. In localities outside of these 
areas of excessive rainfall apple scab was not more prevalent than 
usual. 
PEAK BLIGHT.* 
In Kent County, Md., pear blight started in, or at least was iirst 
noticeable, about the middle of June, and was unusually prevalent 
during two weeks of very moist, hot weather. Some growers removed 
wagon loads of blighted limbs. Mr. Robert Emory, of Chestertown, 
cut over his large orchards seven times and in this way saved many trees. 
The orchards of Dr. W. S. Maxwell, at Still Pond, escaped entirely, 
although only about 12 miles from Chestertown, and subject apparently 
to identical temperature and rainfall. The only blight in these orchards 
of recent years has been that introduced artificially by Mr. Waite. 
This disease was also very prevalent in Kent County, Del., where 
similar meteorological conditions prevailed. In both localities the dis¬ 
ease was so bad as to cause much comment. In western New York 
and western Michigan pear blight was not widespread or severe, 
although, as noted above, the spring in both places was very rainy. 
GOOSEBERRY LEAF-BLIGHT.t 
The leaf-blight of the gooseberry was unusually severe in Maryland 
and Michigan. The leaves began to fall two months in advance of the 
proper season, and in many cases the bushes became bare before the fruit 
was picked. At Hubbardston, Mich., part of the fruit failed to mature 
on account of this loss of foliage, and in various other places the dis¬ 
ease cut short the crop and materially diminished the vigor of the 
plants. 
BLACK SPOT OF THE PEACII.f 
This spot disease was common on peaches at Benton Harbor, Mich., 
in September, and a series of rains caused the affected fruits to crack 
open quite generally, as previously described in this Journal (vol. 
V, p. 33). 
* Bacillus amylovorus (Burr.) De Toni, 
t Glccosporium ribis. (Lib.) Mont, 
t Cladosporium carpophilum Tliiimen. 
