A. M. WILLIAMS, PAWTUXET, R. I. Mr. Williams treated three hundred and sixty-six vines of Concords, Moore's Early, and Delaware; first with a simple solution of copper sulphate, afterwards with the Bordeaux mixture, making six applications of the latter, the first on April 13, the second on May 25, the third and fourth on June 15 and 25, respectively, the fifth on July 16, the sixth on August 4. The remedy was applied with a force-pump having an ordinary nozzle one-eighth of an inch in diameter; over the end of this the bowl of a tea-spoon was bent, thus deflecting the stream and making a fairly good spray. With this apparatus, which was fastened to a barrel, the total cost of treating the three hundred and sixty-six vines seven times was $7.89, or about 2 cents per vine. The season was unusually hot and wet, and for this reason mildew and rot appeared on the untreated vines on July 10 and 16, respectively, this be. ing considerably earlier than usual. Results.-The vines under treatment were entirely free from rot and mildew and from them a crop of the finest and best flavored grapes raised for several years was obtained. Brighton vines, not treated, in the same field, were completely defoliated by mildew, while Delaware, not treated, were badly affected by the same disease. About 33 per cent. of the untreated Concords were destroyed by rot. H. B. BUIST, GREENVILLE, S. C. One thousand vines of various varieties were treated with the Bordeaux mixture, the first application being made when the buds were just beginning to form; the others at intervals of two weeks until the 1st of June. The total cost of the treatment was 2 cents per vine. Mildew appeared on the untreated vines on the 20th of May, and was not observed at all on the treated. Black-rot was noticed first on the untreated vines on May 15. Results.-Mr. Buist says he is well pleased with the Bordeaux mixture and will use it on all of his vines next year. JOHN KISSLING, GRUETLI, TENN. Four acres of vines, two-thirds of which were Concords, the rest Ives, Amber, Missouri Riesling, Elvira, and Cynthiana, were treated with the Bordeaux mixture, formula b. Three acres were treated four times: First, from the 13th to the 15th of May; second, from the 27th to the 29th of May; third, from the 10th to the 12th of June; and fourth, from the 20th to the 25th of the same month. About 30 pounds of bluestone and 40 pounds of lime were used for the mixture, which was applied with a brass syringe and nozzle, at a total cost of $15. Black-rot appeared on the 21st of June, the weather being very favorable for the development of rot. Results. Of the Concords treated four times two-thirds of the crop was saved, while those treated twice lost about half of their fruit. Mr. Kissling concludes his report by saying that if the treatment was not a complete success the cause should be looked for in the time of making the first application, which he thinks was several days too late. A. M. LEWIS, VIENNA, VA. Mr. Lewis treated six thousand Concord, Ives, and Delaware vines twice with the Bordeaux mixture, beginning the first application on May 7, and continuing as the weather permitted. The second application was made on the 9th of June. The total cost of the sprayings, which were made with a force pump, was $42. Results.-Mr. Lewis writes that the treatment was a failure, but he attributes this to the excessive rain-fall, which washed off the mixture as soon as it was applied. He adds that last year the treated crop was fine, and that he still has faith in the remedy. W. G. MERRICK, GLENDOWER, VA. Twenty-three hundred and fifty Norton, Noah, Ives, Concord, and Missouri Riesling vines were treated with a solution of iron sulphate and Bordeaux mixture, the former being applied with a brush on April 12, 4 pounds of the iron to a gallon of water being used. The Bordeaux mixture was applied three times with brooms, first on May 4, second on May 19, and third on June 13. At the first spraying formula b was applied, while for the second and third sprayings 4 pounds of copper and pound of lime to 24 gallons of water was used. The total cost of the treatment was $9.50. Results.-Ives, very small per cent. rotted, while in the case of Concords even a smaller amount was destroyed. The Norton's suffered more from rot than ever before, but their foliage was much brighter, the mildew damaging them very little. W. L. HEUSER, HAYMARKET, VA. The simple solution and the Bordeaux mixture were applied four times to thirty-six hundred Concord, Ives, Perkins, Martha, Goethe, Clinton, and Cynthiana, and twenty-four hundred vines of the same varieties were treated once with the simple solution. In case of the former the applications were made on April 1 to 5, May 12 to 20, June 1 to 5, and June 18, while for the latter the buds were just bursting at the time of the treatment, The cost of the treatment was about 35 cents per acre for material, and from 75 cents to $1.50 per acre for labor. Mildew appeared on May 15, and black-rot was noticed on the 14th of June. The season was one of the wettest known for years, rain falling almost constantly during the summer months. Results. Almost a total failure. In comparison with vineyards in the neighborhood and also with the test row of sixty vines, consisting of most of the varieties named, the only difference that could be perceived was a less amount of the leaf spot on the treated vines. It was also observed that in the untreated vineyards black-rot destroyed the fruit much quicker than where the vines were treated. REPORT OF E. S. GOFF, OF MADISON, WIS., ON THE TREATMENT OF APPLE SCAB. SIR: I have the honor to report the results of experimental work in the treatment of apple scab, Fusicladium dendriticum, Fckl., as per agree. ment made with you in April last. I also append a detailed report made to me by Mr. A. L. Hatch, of Ithaca, Wis., in whose orchard and under whose immediate charge the applications were made. Mr. Hatch's orchard is situated 34 miles southeast of the village of Ithaca, Richland County, Wis. It occupies a somewhat elevated piece of ground that slopes gently toward the north. The soil is a rather light clay loam, and the altitude of the orchard is about 1,000 feet above sealevel. Mr. B. T. GALLOWAY, E. S. GOFF, Special Agent, Madison, Wis. Chief of Section of Vegetable Pathology, On May 18, Mr. Hatch and I selected twelve trees of the Fameuse variety that were of nearly uniform size and were well set with fruit, and which were planted in the spring of 1875. These trees were from 10 to 12 feet in height, and of about the same diameter. The branches were trained rather low, so that a considerable part of the fruit hung quite near the ground, which was planted to grass. This variety was selected because in Mr. Hatch's orchard it has been peculiarly liable to injury from the Fusicladium in former years. After tying a piece of red cloth about the trunk of each of the twelve trees selected, so that they might be readily distinguishable from the other trees in the orchard, two of them, numbered 1 and 2 respectively, were sprayed with a solution of potassium sulphide at the rate of an ounce of the sulphide to 1 gallon of water. The solution was prepared by dissolving 2 ounces of the sulphide in a pint of hot water, and then diluting to 4 gallons with cold water. Three gallons of the solution were used on the two trees, and the time spent in spraying them was twenty-four minutes. Two others, numbered 3 and 4 respectively, were sprayed with a solution of sodium hyposulphite at the rate of 1 pound of the hyposulphite to 10 gallons of water. Two and three-fourths gallons of the solution were used, and the time consumed in spraying was fifteen minutes. The second tree was a little below the average of the others in size. Two other trees, numbered 5 and 6 respectively, were sprayed with water containing a "sulphur powder" forwarded by you from Washington. The directions accompanying the package were to dissolve 1 pound of the powder in 10 gailons of water. We endeavored to apply it in this way, but the powder did not appear to be soluble to any great extent in cold water. Its mechanical condition was not good, and lumps of sulphur appeared mixed through it, some of which were a fourth of an inch in diameter. Another lot received later, and used in the other sprayings, was in rather better mechanical condition. Three gallons of the mixture were used on the two trees, and fifteen minutes were consumed in the spraying. Two other trees, numbered 7 and 8 respectively, were sprayed with a solution of ammoniacal copper carbonate, formed by diluting a saturated solution of copper carbonate in ammonia (strength 220 Baumé) with ninety parts cold water. The copper carbonate was precipitated from a solution of copper sulphate, by sodium carbonate, after which the water was siphoned off, and the precipitated copper carbonate dried. It was found on trial that very nearly 13 ounces of the copper carbonate formed in this way would dissolve in 1 quart of ammonia. About 21 gallons of the solution were used, and about fifteen minutes were consumed in the application. Two trees, numbered 9 and 10 respectively, were sprayed with a solution of a sulphur compound which came in the same package with the "sulphur powder." The bottle had no label, and we had no directions given as to the manner in which it was to be used. We diluted a portion of it with one hundred and eighty parts of water, and used 3 gallons of the solution upon two trees, consuming about fifteen minutes. in the application. As will appear from Mr. Hatch's report, trees Nos. 9 and 10 were sprayed but three times, the liquid having been all consumed in three sprayings. I notified you at the time that the solution was exhausted, but no additional amount was received. On July 24, I again visited Mr. Hatch's orchard and assisted him in making the sixth spraying. At this time it was evident that the hyposulphite of soda had injured the foliage to a slight extent; also, that the ammoniacal copper carbonate solution had, in some manner, exerted an influence upon the epidermis of the fruit, causing a formation very similar to the russet appearance on the skin of the so-called russet apples. There were no indications that the fruit was injured except in appearance. The leaves of these trees also had a peculiar dull, leaden tint, but aside from this they appeared uninjured by the applications. Samples of the fruit and leaves from these trees and from adjoining trees not treated were brought home with me, and on the next day after my return I was surprised to discover that the leaves from the sprayed trees had assumed a dark brown color, as if affected with blight, while those from the trees not sprayed with the copper carbonate solution were still green, having only withered slightly. This led me to suspect that the treatment had caused a decided injury to the foliage that would manifest itself later, but subsequent developments showed my fears unfounded. At this date more or less of the Fusicladium was visible both on the leaves and fruit of all the trees, and it was difficult to decide which application was proving the most effectual. On September 24, I visited Mr. Hatch's orchard for the third time, for the purpose of harvesting the crop and making the final examination of the fruit. I found that all of the trees selected for the experiment had matured a fine crop of apples so far as numbers were concerned. The extremities of the lower branches on some of the trees, borne down by weight of their load of apples, rested upon the ground, thus offering favorable conditions for the growth of the fungus. In order to decide as to the actual effects of the different applications, a market basket holding about 1 pecks was first filled with apples from the lowest branches of one of the trees. Next, a similar basketful was picked from the branches that were just the height that one could conveniently reach, taking care to pass clear around the tree in both cases. After this a basket holding one-half a bushel was filled from the tallest branches of the tree. The apples were then poured upon an assorting table and the baskets filled and emptied again in the same manner, and from the same tree, after which the contents of the six basketfuls were assorted into three qualities, as follows: First quality. Fruit free from scab. Second quality. Fruit showing scab-spots, but not of sufficient size or in sufficient number to distort the apples. Third quality. Fruit more affected. *In the trees treated with the liquid sulphur preparation the baskets were filled but once. Of all the other trees selected for experiment, six basketfuls were picked from each. |