EEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. BULLETIN NO. 9, MAY, 1890. PEAR STOCKS. ME PARASITIC FUNGI OF TEXAS WITH NOTES. College Station, Brazos County, Texas. AUSTIN: STATE PRINTING OFFICE. 1890. TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. OFFICERS. BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF A. 8t M. COLLEGE. MAJ. A. J. RosE, President . . . . . . . . . . . . . Salado. HoN. L. L. FosTER, State Com. Agriculture. . Austin. W. R. CAVITT, Esq . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bryan. DR. J. D. FIELDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Manor. J. ADRIANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Columbia. ' PRoF. L. L. MoINNIs, Secretary . . . . . . . . . . .Co11ege Station. EXPERIMENT STATION COUNCIL. L. L. MGINNIS. . . . . . . . . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chairman of Faculty. T. M. SooTT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Agent of the Board. F. A. GULLEY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Direotor of the Station. STATION STAFF. F. A. GULLEY, M. Sc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .D1reotor. _ G. W. CURTIs, M. S. A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Agricu1turist. H. H. HARRINGTON, M. So . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chemist. T. L. BRUNK, B. Sc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Horticu1turist. M. FRANCIS, D. V. M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Veterinarian. W. WIPPRECHT, B. S. A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Chemist. J. W. CARsoN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant to Director. ¢ D. ADRIANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Asst. Chemist and Meteorologist. J . M. CARsoN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant to Agriculturist. C. K. FUQUA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sugar Chemist. PEAR STOCKS. BY THOS. L. BRUNK. MAY, 1890. The best stock on which to graft or bud the pear has been a theme of much discussion and a line of considerable experimentation. Downing* wrote long ago: “Experience has proved that in proportion to the likeness or close rela- tion between the stock and the graft is the long life of the grafted tree. Thus a variety of pear grafted on a healthy pear seedling lasts almost as long as upon its own roots. Upon a thorn it does not endure so long; upon a mountain ash or quince stock still less, until the average life of a pear tree when grafted on the quince is reduced to one-third of its ordinary duration on tlie pear stock. It arises from the want of affinity between the quince stock and the pear graft. The practice, therefore, of grafting pear on quince and the peach on the plum, when extensive growth and durability are wanted, is wrong.” Again he says: “A variety of fruit which is found rather tender for a certain climate or a par- ticular neighborhood, is frequently acclimatized by grafting it on a native stock of very hardy habits.” Furthermore, “ The apparent decay of a variety is often . caused by grafting upon unhealthy stocks.” Field states} that the cause of the failure of pears is due to the practice of gathering seeds for stocks from any and every source; from diseased fruits and from the fruit of diseased trees; while the seed of small and wild pears only are fit for the purpose. , Barry stateszjj “It scarcely admits of a doubt but that many of the difficul- ties met with in fruit tree culture, as maladies of various sorts, unfruitfulness, etc., are induced by a careless and indiscriminating system of propagation. The stock has a most important influence on the health, longevity, fruitfulness, and symmetry of the tree, and should therefore be propagated and selected with due regard to its soundness, vigor, and hardiness of constitution.” From these quotations from so high authorities the reader can gather, (l) that there must be a close affinity between stock and scion for long life and health of a tree; (2) that stocks through high culture and bad selection of seeds become deteriorated and unfit for use; (3) that stocks should be adapted to the climate and soil in which the trees are grown; (4) that many of our best varieties of pears have been so reduced in constitutional vigor by working them through a series of generations on weak and poor stocks that they have become almost worthless as a tree and subject to the inroads of disease; (5) that the present weakened and short lived pear tree is the result of man’s neg- lect and misuse of nature’s laws and powers. This discussion has of late been so warm, and opinions so diametrically op- posed, and the question of the proper stock for the pear (especially for the Le- Conte and Keiffer) of such vast importance to our Southern nurserymen and fruit growers that it was deemed a case pre-eminently fitted for careful obser- * Downing’s Fruit and Fruit Trees of America, pp. 1]. and 29. +Field’s Pear Culture, p. 90. fBarry’s Fruit Garden, p. ~80 O TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. vation and experimentation. Last fall the work was begun by making a num- ber of visits to orchards in several parts of the State, a11d by sending out let- ters of inquiry to all parts of the State and throughout the South“ Dur- ing the past winter all the stocks on which pears are "worked ” as standards were procured and placed in the experimental grounds, and on them were worked the LeConte and Keiffer and several other pears. The stocks include the LeOonte and Keiffer grown from cuttings from “pedigree” trees, French seedling pears, Mikado pear seedlings, and apple seedlings. The grafts were made so as to force the scion in every case to grow on the roots of the stock only. These grafts are all growing nicely, and we will be able to throw more light on this subject, or prove the conclusions drawn in this bulletin, which is only a report of our observations and the testimonials we have received from experienced growers. While I may answer other questions more or less, yet the one of first importance to decide is which is the best stock for the LeOonte ‘and Keiffer pear trees, the Oriental (i. e. the LeOonte or Keiffer on their own roots) or the French pear seedling. Before going into the details of our ob- servations, l will state briefly the claims of the advocates of both these stocks. The claims of the friends of the French pear seedling or well grown Amer- ican pear seedlings from European pear seed as a stock for the Le Oonte and Keifier pear trees are as follows: 1. The trees make fullyas good growths as those grown on their own roots. 2. They some into bearing one or two years sooner. 3. They are fully as prolific or more so. 4. They do not sucker or sprout from the roots any more than other fruits on seedling stocks of the same species. 5. Are less subject to blight. 6. The affinity between Oriental pears and the French stock is close, but the Oriental pear being a more vigorous grower than the American or Euro- pean pears, they influence the stock to the extent of forming enlargements, which do no harm. The friends of the “pedigree” Le Oonte and Keiifer stock for these two pears claim: 1. That these pears on their own roots make a far better and more uniform growth than those on French stock. 2. That while they do not always come into bearing quite as soon as a rule as those on the French stock, yet when they do begin to bear they produce more per tree, and continue to increase year after year, while those on French stock die early and do not bear uniformly, some bearing profitable crops and others none. 3. That those on their own roots never sucker from the roots, while the sprouts from the roots of the French stock are so numerous and persistent that they become a great nuisance to the cultivator, necessitating high pruning to get at them. 4. That those on French stock are more subject to disease than those on their own roots. 5. That the‘ affinity of the French stock for the Oriental pear is not close, as the stock becomes much enlarged below the place of graft, and also throws out excresences of abnormal tissue near the top of the stock. After visiting a number of orchards in North, Central, and Southern Texas and examining the roots (often over three feet below the surface) of grafted and ungrafted trees, removing some entirely from the soil and splitting open the trunk and finding the original graft, noting the comparative growth be- tween trees of the same age and under the same treatment, and making a few sketches of specimens showing the exact conditions of stock and scion after PEAR STOCKS. 7 several years’ growth, I am able to give what I believe to be a pretty full ex- position of the facts involved in this question. _ _ The .first important fact to be noted from my observations 1s that where the Le Conte or Keiffer were grafted upon the French stock or apple stock, and were set deep enough, the scion invariably threw out its own roots; and from the various stages of growth examined I found that the scion made an effort proportionate to its strength and hold upon the soil to throw off the stock, and in several cases had succeeded in doing it, as is shown in Figures 2, 4, and , pages l2, 13, and 14. It had almost thrown off the apple stock, as shown 1n Figure 3, page 12. This tendency to make its own roots and discard the French stock and grow thriftily when the point of graft is set below the surface of the soil has led some to the erroneous belief that the Le Conte grows as Well on the French stock as on its own roots. The proportion of French roots to the Le Gonte roots could in every case be told by the growth of the tree, for 1n every case where the French roots were present the growth of the tree was less than those on their own roots only. _ It is no sign or proof that a tree is growing on a particular stock simply be- cause it was grafted upon it. We have two Clapp’s Favorite trees here some fourteen years old and both grafted on the quince stock. One of them has about two-thirds of its own roots, and the other has nearly all quince roots. The first one is far larger than the one depending on the quince stock for a food supply. It seems clear to me that it is far better, and in fact the only right way when vigor and growth are considered, either to grow the Le Gonte and Keiffer from cuttings, or side graft a piece of a root of a pear or apple seed- ling to support the cutting till it sends out its own roots, and in the fall when removed from the nursery, cut off the grafted root. 1 It is a grave mistake to believe, as Wickson states,* that roots from a cut- ting spread out horizontally and irregularly in all cases and do not give the tree a deep, strong hold on the soil. This is especially so with the the Le Gonte pear. v I have seen roots from Le Oonte cuttings at the end of the first season that had penetrated the hardest joint clay to a depth of over four feet and at nearly a vertical angle. By comparing Figures 3, 5, and 7, pages 12, 13, 145, with Figure 4, page 12, it will be seen that the Le Conte penetrates the soil at a more vertical angle than the Keiffer. i‘ The second feature of growth observed was that where the Le Gonte and Keiffer and other varieties were planted. so shallow that they were forced to grow upon the French or apple stock, that the stock outgrew the scion in every case, forming an ugly enlargement (Figs. land 6, pp. 11 and l4) from the point of graft downwards, and in all cases they threw up sprouts (see Figs. 1 and 6). These sprouts make it diflicult to cultivate an orchard, as an incessant amount of laoor is necessary to keep them down, and it requires high pruning of the limbs that they may be reached. Another peculiar growth, that proves more than any other the lack of affinity between the Le Conte scion and French stock, are excrescences thrown out on the top of the stock. These are bunches of abnormal growths of both bark and wood, often nearly as large as a hen’s egg. Such growths never occur where the circulation of the sap is not impeded in some way. They are not the work of insects, as there are no signs of their presence. They were ob- served only on the Le Conte and Keiffer grown on French stock. I was told that not long after these growths appeared the roots died and the trees above remained green to the last. *Oalifornia Fruits, p. 101. 8 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. These enlargements and excrescences are certainly signs of non-affinity. Lindley,* one of our highest authorities. says: “Whenever the stock and graft or bud are not perfectly well suited to each other, an enlargement is well known always to take place at the point of their junction, and generally to some extent either above or below it.” It will be noticed, in reading the opin- ions of the correspondents appended, that they are nearly unanimous in be- lieving these enlargements to be signs of non-affinity. lnthe third place, it was observed that grafted trees forced to grow only on the Bench stock were far less vigorous and less uniform in their growth than those on their own roots. Some of the grafted trees are more than double the size of other grafted ones, while those on their own roots are symmetrical and uniform to a high degree. As to time of coming into bearing and pro- lificness of grafted and ungrafted Le Oonte and Keiffer trees, there is no doubt that the grafted tree bears younger in most localities, but it never bears as heavily as the tree on its own roots. The time when the Le Oonte on its own roots begins to bear varies with the conditions of soil, latitude and culture. I found Le Oonte trees in North Texas on their own roots struggling for an existence on ground which consisted of about twenty inches of a sandy loam over a reddish yellow clay, with considerable sand intermixed. This subsoil was wet and soggy, although it had not rained for over four weeks. The roots of the Le Conte trees in this soil did not spread out in the sandy soil (see Fig. 5) as did several Keiffers near by, but plunged down into the wet clay, the first root being fourteen inches from the surface. Only two of the six Le Oonte trees that had been set ten years before remained. They had never borne but few pears. They had all been attacked by pear blight, and those that remained were badly affected. But the roots at a depth of three feet had a black epider- mis, and in many places were covered with a fungous growth, apparently sapro- phytic. No doubt all of these trees were affected at the roots first. Near by these Le Oontes were some eight-year old Keiffers that had been grafted on the French stock. But after a careful examination of the roots and collar, no sign of the French stock could be found. The trees had formed their own roots, killed and thrown off the French stock, spread their roots out into the soil (as shown by Fig. 4), had borne heavy crops for several seasons, and had not blighted. It seems evident that the whole difference in growth between these Le Oontes and Keiifers, apparently under the same conditions, was due to the fact that they fed entirely in two different fields, as it were, although one was on top of the other. The one lived in the rich loose soil, the other in the wet subsoil. The same subsoil, if well drained, will no doubt raise good Le Conte trees. The owner of these trees, Dr. W. W. Stell, in his letter on page l7, states that 25 per cent of his young grafted Le Oonte trees are affected with what he believes to be root-rot. These trees were all set deep and have formed their own roots, which, like all Le Oonte roots, have gone down into the subsoil. On his place i it seems to hold too much water too near the surface, and the trees die. The soil is deep, and the apple trees, etc., he speaks of surrounding the orchard spread their roots out like the Keiffers, above, and therefore thrive. On the other Le Oonte trees on their own roots, in Central Texas, at Nava- sota, about two hundred miles south of these mentioned above, on a similar top soil, but not so deep, and having a heavy joint clay subsoil with a better natu- ral drainage, on the 2d day of April, 1889, I counted as high as 243 young pears nicely set upon a single tree. These trees were just entering their third summer’s growth and had borne a few pears the summer before. In other parts of the State, as down on the coast prairie and on the black waxy lands, *Lindley’s Horticulture, p. 226. PEAR sTocKs. 9 they do not begin to bear till five and six years old. Evidently there are locali- ties far better adapted to the highest development of the Le Conte than others. These places largely remain yet t0 be found. When found they should be carefully placed upon a map for proper reference. In Germany they have made such an exhaustive study of the adaptability of certain varieties of fruits for the several parts of that country that nearly every square mile has its own special varieties that it can mature and develop to a higher degree of perfec- tion than can be done on the adjacent lands. Every State in the South, and especially Texas, could well afford to have at least one man in the field to col- late and map out the facts regarding the adaptability of certain fruits for cer- tain localities. We annually plant thousands of trees on various soils and under varying conditions, and expect profitable results in every case. Every section of a State has certain kinds and varieties of kinds of fruits it can grow more or less to perfection, and those should be more carefully sought out and grown, to the exclusion of all worthless and unacclimated fruits. Mr. William Jennings, of Thomasville, Georgia, claims that it is unpruned and uncultivated trees that bear at three and four years of age, and when prop- erly pruned and cultivated they will not bear till seven years old, but these at nine and ten will bear from five to fifteen bushels to the tree. I believe my observations as to pruning bear him out in his statements, as the young trees at N avasota on which so many pears were counted had not been pruned at all, as the owner did not believe in pruning the Le Conte. They were, however, well fertilized with cotton seed meal and barn manure, and were well cultivated. Reports from Missouri, North Georgia, and Tennessee show that the Le Conte blooms too early to be prolific, and is subject to severe attacks of pear blight. The Keiffer in these States has proven far more hardy and prolific. William . Jennings also states in his pamphlet on the Le Conte pear: “We have seen them thriving on all kinds of soil that we have in Georgia, except wet land.” T. V. Munson, in American Garden, states: “Light deep sandy pine ridges will grow Le Oonte and Keiffer pears.” a So far as I have observed and inquired, I am confident "that the Le Conte thrives best in every respect in a stip of territory not over a hundred miles wide, and lying next to the Gulf from Texas to Florida inclusive. Also that it must be grown on well-drained lands, and best on a heavy clay subsoil with a shallow soil above. As to the Le Conte or Keiffer being more subject to diseases on a particular stock, I will say that it depends on soil, latitude, and culture. As already shown, the Le Conte and Keiffer are far less subject to blight on well drained soils in the Gulf region on their own roots than on the French stock. Professor J. P. Campbell, of Georgia, in amost carefully prepared paper* on the subject of pear blight, says: “The first precaution which should be ob- served is to plant only those trees which are proven by experience not to blight readily, and so far as I can learn the Le Conte and Keiffer seem to be most nearly exempt”; In higher latitudes they seemed to blight on their own roots about as freely as other pears. But in the Gulf region there is a disease which affects the roots of cotton, sweet potatoes, apples, figs, and several other plants on certain spots of ground. This disease has been termed “ root-rot” by Prof. Pammeljj The pear tree dies on the same spots of ground. and I believe from the same fun- *Proceedings Fourteenth Annual Meeting Georgia State Horticultural Society, page 24. j-See numerous other testimonials appended. iTexas State Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 4, p. 11. TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. gus agent as that which causes cotton root-rot (Ozonium auniecomum, Lk). In his investigations of the cotton root-rot Prof. Pammel has this to say about the disease afiecting the pear:* “The pear is said also to be affected. Specimens sent to me from Burnet County had plenty of Ozoniuwi, but the trees had evi- dently been dead for some time. In the pear orchard of Mr. R. D. Blackshear [N avasota] the leaves of trees covering an area of several acres became yel- low and soon died. The pear trees alongside of this patch were perfect, show- ing no signs whatever of yellow leaves. The roots of the trees with yellow leaves were examined carefully, but no fungus was found on the roots except in advanced stages, where numerous threads of the Ozonium were present; but I think in those cases the fungus was simply a saprophyte. * * * I am unable to account for this disease. The leaves of the young apple trees affected with root-rot suddenly wilt, become black, and iii a short time perish.” The description above of how this disease affects the apple tree agrees more nearly with my observations of what I believe to be the same disease of the pear. A tree will start out seemingly perfectly healthy in the spring and make a vigorous growth, but bea-rs no fruit; and at any time during the summer or fall the leaves will suddenly wilt and turn black, and drop off within a few days, and black spots appear all over the tree, which gradually enlarge till the whole tree turns black and dies. All these visible stages develop within a month. Some of these dead trees stood on a red dish-yellow clay subsoil, some on a slate-colored clay subsoil, and others on a gray clay full of particles of the limestone rock, a stratum of which is but a few feet beneath. On digging up the roots, in every case they were found to be rotted and generally clothed with a white fungus growth. It is not my purpose, however, to prove or disprove that the Le Oonte pear dies by an organic disease on spots of ground where cot- ton and other plants die. But whether organic or some poisonous chemical in the soil, the Le Conte and Keifier on their own roots or other stocks are sure to perish when planted on those spots of ground. I can say that I never saw a pear tree die with this disease planted on a heavy red or joint clay sub- soil. The Le Conte and Keiffer grafted on the French stock will not live more than about seven years if forced to grow only on that stock. The stock seems to be inadequate to the demands of the vigorous scion, and in a few years the tree becomes stunted in growth, throws up numerous sprouts from the roots, sends out the soft, spongy excrescences described above, and finally the roots die while the top remains greenf to the last. On the same grounds on which the grafted Le Conte and Keiffers were found dying on the French roots, they were growing on their own roots and planted on a stiff joint clay subsoil which in the lower end of the orchard cropped out. A finer, more uniform, luxuri- ant, and healthy lot of trees I have never seen anywhere else. In all of my correspondence only three recommend the use of the French stock for the Le Conte and Keiffer pears, while many, without solicitation on my part, stated that they believed the Le Conte to be the best stock for Eu- ropean pears. I can not leave this question without referring to some commendable work undertaken by Mr. William Jennings, of Thomasville, Georgia, in connection with the Le Conte stock for other pears. In his pamphlet, “Pears and Pear Trees for the South,” he states: “A few years ago we selected over thirty varieties (European pears), such as were likely to be valuable in the Southern States, with a view of trying to reinvigorate them by working them repeatedly a on Le Conte stocks. Our plan has been to work the same variety several *Texas State Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 7, p. 12. {See also letter of Mr. H. M. Stringfellow, p. ——. PEAR STOCKS. 11 times, each time taking grafts from the last tree worked and a fresh Le Conte. ‘We have followed this up from year to year with a number of the European varieties. There is no longer any doubt but that an improvement has been made and that we will ultimately have strains of comparatively healthy trees. In other words, the final result is likely to be that we will have strains of trees of the European kinds as able to resist blight as the Asiatic varieties.” This is a line of work we had begun at this Experiment Station before we learned of this advanced investigation. We, however, shall go on with the work, that we may be able before many years to substantiate or explode the val- idity of Mr. Jennings’ experiments. As to the use of the apple seedling for a pear stock, my observations confirm the idea that they are even worse than the French pear seedling to sucker. and the trees are short lived. The Le Conte scion rejects them the same as it does the French seedling, as is shown in Figure 3. But as apple seedlings are plentiful and cheap, it may be a good plan, on soils where the Le (Jonte and Keiffer do not root easily, or a profitable percentage of the cuttings do not grow, to use them or pieces of them to side-graft on Le Conte cuttings as a nurse to aid in keeping the cutting alive till ‘it forms its own roots. In the fall, when the trees are removed from the nursery, the apple root can be removed and the tree left on its own roots. FIGURES AND EXPLANATIONS. .,( , ll . K FIG. 1. l. French Pear seedling stock. 2. Le Oonte scion 3 years old from bud, and 3% inches in diameter. 3, 3. Sprouts from the French stock. 4. Place where bud of Le Conte was inserted. This sketch was taken from a tree at Sherman, Texas, on Mr. J. S. Kerr’s fruit farm. It can readily be seen that the French stock is about double the diameter of the Le Conte scion. There was no possibility of the scion in this case to make its own roots. There were several more sprouts than are shown in the cut. Original. i» l l ~. 12 it TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. FIG. 2. A LE GoNTE ORIGINALLY GRAFTED ON A PIECE OF AN APPLE R001". The apple root was 4 inches long and the Le Conte scion about 8 inches ' long. The scion was set 6 inches deep into the soil, and hence formed its own roots, as no trace of the apple root could be found, as shown at 1. 2. Surface of ground. Tree four years old and 7% inches in diameter. It was never removed from the nursery row. Taken on Mr. J. S. Kerr’s place, at Sherman, Texas. Original. F10. 3. LE CoNTE ON APPLE. . 1. Socket in Le Conte tree or ,scion from which was taken the ‘remains of the apple stock. 2. Remains of apple stock on which this Le Conte had been I grafted four years before. The ap- ple stock was totally on the out- ~ side of the tree and had a few knotty roots and a few sprouts, as shown in the figure. All the main ‘roots were from the Le Conte scion. Taken on Mr. J. S. Kerr’s place, at Sherman, Texas. Original. . out in the sandy soil above i PEAR STOCKS. 13 FIG. 4. KEIFFER ON FRENCH 4: STocK. l 1. Surface of ground. 2. Extent of the sandy soil, which was 20 inches A deep. This figure was made from a tree eight years old that had been grafted on the French stock, but had e. t; thrown it off completely. " All the roots shown in the cut are from the Keifier scion. It will be noticed zyff also that the roots spread the reddish-yellow wet clay beneath 2. Also that this. tree was planted so deep that the Keifier scion was several inches in the soil. This tree bore several heavy crops. Taken at Dr. W. W. Stell’s place, near Paris, Texas. Original. FIG. 5. LE GONTE ON ITs OWN RooTs, IN A DISEASED CONDITION. 1. Surface of soil, which is a sandy -loam. 2. Surface of wet reddish clay subsoil, twenty inches below surface. tree plunged down deep into the clay sub- soil. The tree is ten years old, and never bore but a few pears. Referred to on page 8. i Taken at Dr. W. W. Stel1’s place, near i Paris, Texas. Original. .\\ I \ ‘. ' l‘ in ilyll“. |"\\ t r‘ ‘L,’ ULU \ 1 u ‘\\ " m; \ M * F; t qt t t / t, i i i i‘ ‘T i’ \ \ \s u .r_'!\‘|l. t W?‘ i hi I lllll / titfl \_ lllil t / .// . t , I ‘ .1 fl, m/ t . "/ (I U / , ' / .\ e \ \. . \“ h. \ _ . \ e p 4 “ir- \\\:~1<\Qe\\t=i* It will be noticed that the roots of this 14: . TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. FIG. 6. BARTLETT PEAR ON THE FRENCH STocK. 1. Bartlett scion. 2. Place where bud was set. 3. Sprouts from the French stock. The line indicates the surface of the ground. The scion is much smaller than the stock, showing a lack of aflinity. Tree four years old; on black waxy soil at McKinney, Texas, on the farm of Mr. E. W. Kirkpatrick. On this place sev- eral Bartletts died on the French stock, while others on Le Conte stock were fine - specimens of luxuriant growth, and were A without the “maul” or enlargement of the stock. FIG. 7.-'1‘h1s figure snows a verticalgsection through the base of a three-year-old Keifier tree that was grafted on the French stock, showing the original graft, the stock of which was entirely dead and decayed, but not grown over by Keifier wood so as to be hidden. The original cut sur- faces of the graft were plainly visible, as shown in the cut. This tree was set deep enough for the scion to throw out its own roots, which soon overpowered those of the stock, and finally killed them. Two Keifiers at this same place were found growing entirely on the French stock, and they were about half the size of those that had been able to throw out their own roots and kill the French stock. Those also on the French stock were tall and slim in their habit of growth, and leaves of a lighter shade of green than of those on their own ioots, which had a more stocky and \ if j ..\\\ shorter branched habit of growth. Taken on the farm of E. -W. Kirkpatrick, McKinney, l l Texas. Original. l ‘~\ .'\_.\-.,_\ \_.. »\»\\>.\\;..= i. N. i . \ \ » \ - \ \. \\ ;‘=‘lll‘=1‘_ Houston, about nine years old, last summer, and several had died just as e did, and all were stunted and undersized, as well as suckering. I would livise all parties having these grafted trees planted shallow, if four years old i-under, to take them up carefully, prune tops back severely, and set fifteen geighteen inches deep. Both Le Conte and Keiffer transplant when old as no harm done except the loss of a season’s growth. subsoil is yellow clay, very compact, with water six to eight feet be- “th the surface. .171 Ramsey, Mahomet, Burnet County, Texas: 1. We have noticed that Le te on its own roots is much more thrifty. Three years ago we planted one Adj of eleven trees of grafted Le Conte, and one of Le Conte cuttings. They We had the same treatment. Of the grafts but two are living, while all those ipwn roots are living and are fully twice as large as the grafts. We men- 3 these two rows because we raised every tree of each row, and considered in an average. p” A chance tree on French root sprouts. . We have had no Le Contes or Keifiers to die on Le Conte root. ‘ We have not noticed any difference in the hardiness of apple roots. We i‘, not noticed the difierence, if any, of the growth of other pears grafted on "f; onte and on French stocks. . 7 In a few instances we have noticed the body of the tree larger than the below it. We do not think this any evidence as to the affinity or non- y/ of the two pears, but indicates that that particular stock is a slow grow- ariety, and to that extent is evidence against the use of French stocks. We believe we have never lost a Le Conte on its own root, nor have we ther variety on Le Conte roots, but they (the others) are all young. We Qhad Le Oontes lose several leading limbs from a disease that a writer in the ern Journal of Horticulture describes and calls blight, but the trees seem thy now as ever. I We supposed at the time that their death was caused K w y as a cottonwood; and having moved four-year-old trees of both kinds, “f”. 2O TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. i by caterpillars or sudden freezes, as we had been affiicted with both just befo “ We believe if a lot 0f French stocks were grafted with Keiffer and several l; the old varieties of pears and planted on our soil, there would be a smaller o =_ cent of the Keiffer alive at the end of six years than there would be of the otheif varieties at the end of fifteen 0r twenty years. J. M Alexander, Rookdale, Texas: 1. As far as my observation goes, th ; . p r Le Conte and Keiffer 0n the Le Gonte stock have been more vigorous with than when on French stock. "N o pedigree Le Contes bearing here yet. few trees 0n French stock bearing well. I find none 0f grafted Le Conte wit any roots above the graft (three years since they were set). The first they made no growth scarcely--very dry; the second year a very fair growth, and this year a thrifty growth, and about equal to Le Conte on own roots. It‘ 2. I have noticed some sprouting around eight-year-old trees grafted o’. French stock, but no serious case of it in our community. 3. I sold W. M. Fergurson, of our town, five hundred Le Contes on the' own roots (pedigree), on which he has two years very vlgorous growth sincf’ planting. The first year eight of them, after making a fine growth, died sud+ denly in the latter part of summer—bark turned black, and tree was brittle and easily broken before winter. This was on a spot where cotton dies some every year. Three or four others have died this year. We don’t believe itg to be regular pear blight, but think it the same thing which causes cotton t6! die. I have lost only two or three trees on my own place in three years; = of them were pedigree. They seemed to be affected in same manner. I had: two very sick this year-leaves wilted and bark shriveled. I removed th” earth and some bones I had around the roots, poured a half bucket of wea lye around them, and about same amount of wood ashes; then gave the bod‘. and branches two thorough washings with concentrated lye strong enough bite my'hands a little, and then threw back some fresh earth from a distance all of which restored them to a normal state of health. One of them be"; a new growth in ten days; both made a good fall growth. As far as I hav observed, the disease begins in the roots. One of the trees mentioned above had been set three years, the other set last spring. ’ 4. I have never used any pear and apple roots except the whole seedlin stock for grafting. y 5. The French stock on which my three-year-old Le Contes are grafted a nearly all larger below the point of graft than the tree, and a few of them f fourth larger. I do not consider such condition an indication of perfect affini ity between the stock and scion. 6. There are eight or ten Le Contes on their own roots in and around m" town to one on French stock, and I know of no one on its own roots that :2: failed to make from a fair to a ‘most vigorous growth; but it is common to them on French stock that have set two or three years without making scarcel any growth. My subsoil is a rich red clay, with a gray to a light sandy soil, and all tr =l thrive well on it. G. A. McKee, Mount Selman, Cherokee County, Texas: Le Conte pears bligh occasionally with us, but are not so subject to blight as some other varietif Soil here varies from stiff clay soil to a sandy loam, with a stiff red or yello w? subsoil eighteen inches to three feet below the surface. H C. Hamzlton, Whitesboro, Texas: The Le Conte shows some blight ' some places, though not very much; mostly leaf blight. Root-rot is caused " a mineral substance coming up from below. The best preventive of this is un, der drainage. D. G. Gregory, Alleyton, Texas: Out of 300 Le Conte trees I had three 0 PEAR STOCKS. 21 i four that partially blighted in 1889. The dead limbs have thrown out new- i shoots near the trunk and seem to have recovered. I consider it bacterial and j only temporary. My soil is a sandy loam, with a red clay porus subsoil with igood natural drainage. i. E. M Kirlapatrzelglllclfinney, 7exas: My experience and observation teaches me that Le Conte and Keiffer pears do best on their own roots. Where these pears are grafted on any other root and planted deep they are disposed to throw out their own roots and ignore the foreign roots. I have noticed that pear trees sprout badly on the French stock. I have not noticed any blighting or dying of Le Contes or Keiffers on their ‘own roots. The apple root is as good as any for the pear, if the tree is planted deep enough to ignore the apple root. i I have often noticed the enlargements you speak of, and consider them a sign of non-affinity. I consider trees more subject to disease and short lived when grafted on the ‘gFrench stock than when grown on the Le Conte or Keiffer roots. The soil is black waxy, with yellow clay subsoil. J. W Stubenrau-ch, Mexia, Texas: Our soil is from ten inches to two feet in fwepth; subsoil red clay. The difference in growth between Le Conte and Keif- _ er on their own roots and those on French stock is not material. Have not ound any on the French stock that have taken root above graft. Pear sprouts from the French stock are very numerous and are a nuisance. é Have had as yet no blight on any Le Conte nor Keiffer, neither on own roots or grafted stock. Apple roots are a failure for pears to grow on. The enlargement at point of union between graft and stock on Le Conte and eiffer 1s frequently present with us, and we certainly deem it a defect in the >1 ion. T ‘E. S. Peters, Calvert, Texas: It is my belief and others in this vicinity that ur pear trees do not die from pear blight, but from root-rot, as cotton does on ‘me ground in my orchard. I am well pleased with J apan_plums and Le i onte ‘pears. f Otto Locke, New Bxaunfels, Texas: The Le Conte on its own roots makes a owth of eight to ten feet in one year, but on French stocks they make only growth of one to two feet in one year. Yes, a few of my pears on French stocks sprout from the roots. p I have not noticed any blighting or dying of Le Contes or Keiffers on their ~ roots. I have not noticed the enlargements of the French stock you speak f. I believe trees grafted on French stock more subject to disease than those . own on Le Conte or Keiffer roots. All my trees are young, from two to six years old. a I find that all varieties ‘a Le Gonte roots grow very rapidly, but on French stocks they make a very "or growth. My soil is black bottom land. J. S. Kerr, bhexman, Texas: I have not noticed as to which trees fruit most, ‘hether grafted on Le Conte or French stock. I notice enlargement and tendency to sprout at the union of Le Conte with ; rench stock. Have not noticed any blighting of Le Contes on their own roots. On four-year Le Contes grafted on apple roots I notice the pear discards the ple root and throws out its own roots above, and the apple root stops grow- g and is of no effect. The enlargement looks like the want of affinity. I have not noticed that grafted trees are more subject to disease than those their own roots. ijY-Tohn B. Long, Rusk, Cherokee County, Texas: Le Conte pears have been own here about five years, and have shown no blight up to this time. We 22 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. have a gray and red sandy soil, red clay subsoil, which has a peculiar and ex- cellent adaptation to the successful growth of fruits. D. J. Eddleman, Demon, Texas: I have never had a case of pear blight on; my place. My Le Contes and Keiffers are now six years old, and up to this time I have not had but one Keiffer pear and no Le Conte. They have seti crops for three years, but fall ofi in a few weeks, while Bartlett and Duchess hold their fruit. The trees grow finely, but they don’t bear. My Le Contes-i were on apple roots at first, but are now on roots put out from above the grafts. My Keiffers are said to be on Le Oonte roots, but I think they are on French stock. None of them have sprouted. I have cultivated the orchard for six years in corn and cotton. All the root-rot I ever met came from too much water settling about the roots in hot weather. U. H Brossmann, BeZZviZZe, Texas: I prefer grafted trees, if graft is set three or four inches below surface of soil; they will grow slow for a few years ‘i but will make up for it later, and in time come near the natural form of a seed- ‘ ling pear tree. They bear earlier, and fruit is more uniform and larger than f1, on trees from cuttings. I have fifty Bartlett trees worked on the Le Conte five years old. and l.ast summer during the rainy and windy season I had tof cut the tops ofi to save them, because they had no tap and side roots to hold them. The only objection I have to the Le Conte is its rampant growth. I find it a job to give the tree the needed spreading form by a course of regu- lar pruning to an outside bud before the bearing age. My choice for several . years has been the Keiffer. As to sprouts under the pear trees, I will say that i I put out some grafted Rostiezer pears in 1867, and by cultivation and rain 5f the soil was washed away from the roots to such an extent that I injured the roots with the plow, and since sprouts have appeared; and I think any other pear tree will sprout under the same circumstances. , My soil is dark sand, with all mixtures of subsoils in different parts of the j orchard, except some red clay, which I think best for fruit. E. Crew, Hempstead, Texas: No Le Contes here have shown any blight, * ,4». _:-. * hm but are vigorous trees. We have a sandy loam with clay subsoil from six inches to ten feet from the surface. SOME PARASITIC FUNGI OF TEXAS. WITH NOTES. BY H. s. JENNINGS, l ASSISTANT IN HORTICULTURE AND BOTANY. 1. fEcImUM CALLIRRHES, E. 8L K. On the leaves and sometimes on the petioles and stems of Callirrhw zfitvolucra-Ifa. Not uncommon in April and May; thickening the tissues and causing them to turn red; sometimes nearly jldestroying the leaves. 2. Ecinium HOUSTONIATUM, Schw. On Bluets (Houstonia minima). Very ycommon after the flowers have fallen, in February and March. Plants afiected pare somewhat taller than those unaffected, and the growth is noticeably more ierect, so that they are easily distinguished. 3. EGIDIUM ZANTHOXYLI, Pk. Abundant on the leaves of the Prickly éfAsh (Zanthowylum Carolinianum) in April and May. 4. ACTINONEMA ROSJE (Libert), Fries. Black Spot of Rose. Causes black {spots on the leaves of cultivated roses, injuring their appearance and probably iiharmful otherwise. Observed at College Station in February; very common fin many parts of the State. i 5. AscocHYTA SMILAOIS, E. 8L M. On leaves of Green Brier (Snzilaw tam- inoides), causing numerous light colored or pinkish spots, noticeable on.both “sides; common in fall. l, 6. GJEJOMA NITENS, Schw. Orange Rust of Blackberry. Exceedingly iicommon and conspicuous on the Dewberry (Rubus trivialis) and cultivated iBlackberries and Raspberries, covering the lower side of the leaves with the gimass of orange colored spores, and bursting through the bark on the canes. Very injurious, and is becoming a great drawback to blackberry culture in this State. Of the common varieties, Kittatinny, Early Harvest, and Erie are imost affected. It has not yet been found on the Dallas. On the wild Dew- §berry this fungus is sometimes itself ‘covered and almost destroyed by the pur- pple spores of Tuberculina persiczbza, Ditm. j 7. CERcosPoRA ALTHZENIA, Sacc. Causing white spots on the leaves of Jlodiola muZt/dfida, in February and March. Not particularly injurious to this gjplant, as it occurs mostly on weakened or dying leaves. "f 8. CERcosPoRA BETICOLA, Sacc. Causing numerous brown spots on leaves _ jlof cultivated beet (Beta vulgaris) in January. Not common nor very injurious %*‘here. 9. CERoosPoRA BRUNKII, Ell. and GELlVW, 72.319. On Geraniums (Pelargo- jzium, sip.) First noticed in the College greenhouse about the middle of De- gicember, 1889, by Prof. Brunk, on many of the Geraniums of different varie- ties, causing reddish-brown dead spots on the leaves; since that time it has Zibeen exceedingly abundant, making it difficult to grow these plants with sat- jisfaction. The disease spread rapidly, the spots increased in size and num- her until many leaves were destroyed, and some of the plants almost defoli- gtted. Not a single variety seemed to be free from the disease. On the ivy- ileaved Geranium (Pelargonium peltatum) the fungus varied slightly from the ‘E 24 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. type, but the outward effects are similar. A Cercospora much resembling this f does considerable damage to Calla Lilies in the greenhouse also. 10. CERcosPoRA CATALPE, Wint. Causing numerous dark spots on the leaves of the Catalpas (Catalpa speciosa) in the College arboretum, in Novem- ber. The spots become white, from the thinness of the leaf tissue, after a time. Common and considerably injurious. 11. OERCOSPORA CHENOPODII, Fres. On leaves of Wormseed (Chenopodium ambrosioides, var. anthelmvinticam), causing small white spots; not injuring it appreciably. 12. CERcosPoRA LIPPIZE, E. 82; E. On Fog fruit (Lzjopia nodiflora), causing small white spots on the leaves. January. 13. CERcosPoRA OCCIDENTALIS, Cke. Causing numerous brown spots on " the leaves of the Wild Coffee Plant (Cassia occidentalis); very abundant in De- cember, 1889. 14. CERcosPoRA PERSONATA, B. 8t C. On Wild Coffee Plant (Cassia occi- dentalis). Not evidently distinguishable, outwardly, from No. 9. 15. CERcosPoRA SMILAOIS, Thun. On Green Brier (Smilax tamnovldes), causing light colored spots; not very common or noticeable. 16. CERcosPoRA TEXENSIS, E. 8L G. On leaves of Green Ash (Fraxinus viridzs), often almost covering them with brown spots, becoming white. Com- mon and injurious, in the fall. 17. OERCOSPORA TOXICODENDRI, El. On Poison Ivy (Rhas toxicodendron); causing numerous small circular brown spots on the leaves. Common; not particularly injurious. 18. CERcosPoRA VIOLE, Sacc. On Violet ( Viola cacullata). Observed in November, 1889, forming large white spots on the leaves. Not common, but very injurious. 19. CERcosPoRA, n. sp. On Begonia. In December, 1889, a disease ap- peared on a certain class of Begonias in the greenhouse, forming white spots in the centre of larger brown patches on the leaves, causing the spots to die and rot out or the whole leaf to fall. Considerable damage is thus done. Mr. J. B. Ellis, of New Jersey, to whom specimens were sent for determina- tion, says it is probably a new species of Cercospora, but it has not been named. 20. CLADosPoRIUM FULVUM, Cke. On Tomato (Lycopersicum escaZemfu-m). In December, 1889, this exceedingly injurious fungus was noted on a large number of Tomato plants in the greenhouse, of the Dwarf Champion variety; nearly all the leaves being fairly covered on the under side with a thick laven- der-colored down. As the disease progressed the fungus turned brown, the leaves soon after turning yellow and beginning to wither; spores falling like dust whenever the leaves were shaken. No tomatoes were produced, and the plants, becoming worthless and nearly dead, were removed and thrown away. 21. CLADosPoRIUM VITICOLUM, Viala. Grape leaf blight. This well known pest is exceedingly common on grapes leaves at College Station and in all parts of Texas. v It occurs on both sides of the leaves, the irregular brown spots often covering almost the entire surface. It does considerable damage to the foliage, especially in wet seasons, but does not affect the fruit so far as known. It afiects the Riparia family of grapes more than any other, the varieties Clinton / and Bacchus being afiected most. 22. CoLEosPoRIUM ELEPHANTOPODIS, Sz. Bright yellow “rust” on leaves and i.nvolucres of Elephant’s Foot Zephantopas Carolinianus). Common in summer. 23. CQLEosPoRIUM IPOMOE, Sz. On Moon flowers (Ipomoea bona-nox) and Morning-glory (Ipomoea parparea). Nearly covering the under side of the leaves SOME PARASITIO FUNGI or TEXAS. 25 . with bright orange spores; very noticeable. Observed in November, 1 889, on two plants only. 24. CoLEosPoRIUM SONCHI (Pers.), Lev. On the lower side of the leaves of Rosin Weed (Silphium scaberrimam) in spring. Common. 25. CoLEosPoRIUM VERNONIE, B. 8L C. On the leaves of Iron Weed (Vernonia sp.); similar in appearance to No. 24. Common; September, 1889. 26. COLLETOTRICHIUM BROMI, n. s10. On leaves of Rescue Grass (Bromas unzoloicles), forming thin spots, on which the black fungus is very noticeable. Weakens the tissues, causing them to break away, leaving dead spots or holes in the leaves. First collected April 2, 1890. 27. CYsToPUs BLITI, Lev. Small elevated white or yellowish spots on the under surface of. the leaves of. Pig Weed (Amarantas retroflewas). Common; somewhat injurious to the plant; June, 1889. 28. CYsToPUs PORTULAGE, Lev. On Purslane (Portulaca oZeracea), causing elevated white spots on the upper side of the leaves. Common and of some value, as it is quite injurious to this troublesome weed. June, 1889. 29. DIORCHIDIUM BOUTELOUE, n. s10. III. On Gamma Grass (Bouteloaa racemosa). This new species of this rare and interesting genus was discovered on specimens of Boateloaa raeemosa collected in December, 1889. This genus differs from the closely related Paccinia in having the telentospores divided by perpendicular or oblique instead of horizontal septa. In this species the sep- tum arises in the larger number of spores from the end of the pedicel, but as in other species, the position of the septa is not constant, the pedicel arising from any corner of the spore, though so far as observed never from the end, as in Paeeinia. The sori are elongated, black, and occur on the upper part of culm and sparingly on the leaves. Only the teleutospores were found. 30. ENTYLOMA PHYSALIDIS (Klachbr. and Cke.), Wint. Dark swollen spots on the leaves of Ground Cherry (Physalis pabescens). April. 31. ERYSIPHE CIOHORIAOEARUM, DC. On Cockle Bur (Xanthium stramariam), Rag Weed (Ambrosia artemisioefolia), Vervain (Verbena ofiicinalis), and culti- vated Verbenas. This is exceedingly common, and does considerable dam- age to Verbenas in the greenhouse. Sulphur dusted on the leaves generally destroys it. 32. ERYsIPHE OOMMUNIS, Wallr. On (lfinothera sinaata. Very common. 33. ERYSIPHE GRAMINIS, DC. On Rescue Grass (Bromus unioloides) and Crab Grass (Panicam sangwina-Ze). Very common in March and April on the Rescue Grass, the conidial stage covering the leaves with a white frosty ap- pearance, and by the time the perithecia appear many of the leaves turn white and are dead. Very injurious. where the grass grows in damp or shady places. 34. ExoAscUs DEFORMANS, Berk. Leaf Curl. Thickening, curling, and variously distorting the leaves of the Peach. Injurious. Observed on only one tree, in April, 1888 and 1889. 35. GLcEosPoRIUM DEOIPIENS, E. 8t E. Causing numerous brown spots and patches on the leaves of the Green Ash (Frawinas oiridvis). Common and in- jurious. It occurs mostly on the leaves at the same time as another fungus, Piggotza fraxzm, B. & C. 36. GL