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of the time for picking, and the loss was very considerable. Hundreds 
of trees were affected, and there appeared to be no assignable cause, 
other varieties in the orchards u coming up” satisfactorily. In an 
orchard where the loss was severe the trees stood on a fertile upland 
of sandy loam, such as would produce an excellent quality of winter 
wheat. The trees had received good cultivation, and were well grown, 
thrifty, and full of fruit. 
It has been suggested that this shriveling may be a varietal pecub 
iarity, induced by exceptional meteorological conditions. If such be 
the case it is a strong argument in favor of discarding this variety 
altogether. 
STEM AND ROOT TUMORS. 
Tumors on the roots of peach trees have been found by the writer in 
several localities during the x>ast few years, and have been reported from 
many parts of the United States. They occur on roots of all ages, and 
vary greatly in size, the largest ones being several inches in diameter. 
Usually these tumors are several to many times the diameter of the 
root, and are entirely unlike the small galls produced by nematodes. 
They also occur on stems above ground, peach trees thus affected having 
been received from Texas and Florida. 
This disease occurs from New Jersey to Florida and westward to the 
Pacific, but at present it is most prevalent in Texas and California, 
where it is causing much anxiety. In California it attacks orchard 
trees as well as nursery stock, and seriously injures both. One nursery¬ 
man in southern California, writes as follows: “It attacks trees on dry 
and moist land in about the same ratio. I have found no conditions 
that will prevent it or any that will always black-knot a tree. I have 
had all of a certain lot black-knot and another lot alongside be almost 
free from it. My loss in nursery this year was 22 per cent. There is 
a great amount of it all over this State, and I think it is getting worse, 
many trees in bearing dying from the disease.” 
It has been observed by the writer on the peach, plum, almond, pear^ 
ami poplar, and it has been reported as occurring on the roots of other 
trees and shrubs, e. g., apricot, apple, fig, walnut, raspberry, blackberry, 
and vine, and root tumors of some sort certainly occur on these plants. 
The inner tissues in young specimens of the peach and almond tumors 
appear to be entirely free from nematodes and fungi, bacteria, and 
pliytomyxinem, and their cause is involved in uncertainty. The most 
probable hypothesis is that they are due to some external irritant. 
Those who have the opportunity to examine early stages of this disease 
should certainly look for external parasites, especially animal organisms. 
The general opinion of nurserymen who have had experience with 
this disease is that certain localities and often certain spots in a par¬ 
ticular field are especially subject to it, and some believe it maybe car¬ 
ried with the germinating seeds from the bedding ground into the 
