Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1884 [PAGE 173]

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177 Prof. Bun-ill's report was presented, read and ordered on file:

INDUSTBIAL UNIVEESITY.

Dr. 8. H. Peabody, Regent: The work in the Horticultural Department for the year just closed has been reasonably satisfactory, though the season has in many respects been unfavorable. The long drouth of 1881, together with the warm and"humid autumn, caused most plants to go into their winter's rest in poor condition. Nearly all the apple-trees in the country became diseased—the peculiar conditions favoring the extraordinary development of a not uncommon fungus parasite which in the autumn, spring and summer severely- injured the young shoots, leaves and fruit. Many trees remained throughout the summer with impaired foliage, often appearing half dead, and the small amount of fruit escaping other vicissitudes became nearly worthless from "scab," as the effect of this fungus is popularly called. Pear-trees similarly suffer from the same cause, but with us not so badly this year. An account of my investigations upon this destroyer— Fusicladium dendriticum, Fekl., has been published in the \merican Agricultural .Review, and is to be presented this week to the Illinois State Horticultural Society. The very backward spring and the late frosts caused other injuries. Cherries and apples (fruit) were considerably destroyed. Curiously enough, pears produced a good crop, though subjected several times while in full bloom to from, two to six degrees of frost. Somewhat less freezing in the southern part of the State, occurring at the same time, but when the fruit had become well set, entirely destroyed the crop. The case was somewhat similar with peaches. Strawberries with us were badly injured. From this and other causes our small fruits were a practical failure. We have, however, reset about an acre of strawberries for next year's fruiting, and these are now in good condition. Grapes severely suffered from several diseases, producing fungi infesting the shoots, leaves and fruit. Two of these especially produce what is called "rot" of the berries, and this year made serious havoc with the fruit in June and the first part of July. This difficulty is wholly prevented by inclosing the bunches, soon after they are formed, in paper bags such as are used by grocers; and, though the process is somewhat tedious, the cost does not prevent the use of the bags when grapes are grown for profit if three or more cents per pound can be secured for the crop. Some experiments during the summer showed that the bunches so covered are not later in ripening than those left exposed to the sun and air, neither is their quality affected, wThile the appearance of the fruit—clean and with full surface bloom—is much better, besides being absolutely free from rotten berries. Considerable attention was also given to these destructive fungi during the summer vacation, but the results are not considered ready for publication. Other studies were made upon diseases of the blackberry, which have been received for publication in the proceedings of the American Society for the Promotion of Agricultural Science and in the American Agricultural Review. Further investigations were made in the entirely new subject of minute organisms (bacteria) inhabiting the tissues of apparently healthy plants (especially poison ivy, etc.), and an account published in the American Microscopical Journal and to appear in the forthcoming proceedings of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. I may say in this connection that a considerable portion of my time during the summer and early part of the autumn has been devoted to th.6 study of bacteria in general, and in preparing for the forthcoming Report of the Trustees of the University, a comprehensive paper upon the subject. A large and increasing amount of correspondence upon these and kindred matters seems to show a general interest in the work done. l a m pleased to report that the new microscope and its equipments purchased for such work gives entire satisfaction and considerably improves the facilities for investigations of these kinds. In the experiments on grapes the fact was noted that cutting off the fruit bearing shoots a short distance above the bunches made the berries about one week later in ripening, but increased their size. A peculiar result came from an experiment in planting large and small seed potatoes (whole). Planting, May 80th. Conditions the same throughout. The large tubers produced on an average six vines, which at first surpassed in vigor of growth the three vines (average) from the small tubers. But during the drouth of August, by the 20th of this month all vines from the large tubers were dead, while the others remained alive, and after the rains of the last of August rapidly grew and finally produced double the yield of the former. Experiments were made in killing cabb*ge-"worms," and an emulsion of coal oil was found wholly successful. So far as tried (with soap, concentrated alkali, milk, etc.), the best effect is obtained by forming an emulsion of strong soap solution (soft soap or hard soap dissolved in the least practicable amount of water) by vigorously stirring in an equal volume of kerosene oil and afterward adding water. When t -n times the amount of water was added, the insects were all killed, but some spots on the leaves also perished. With care in stirring the mixture, so as to make a perfect emulsion, this or a still more watery preparation may be successfully and readily used. The same may be used for insects on very many other plants and crops. For house plants the addition of twenty times as much water as soap and oil makes an effective emulsion into which the affected parts may be fearlessly plunged. An experiment in attempting to "seed" corn with spores of smut proved a failure. May 5th, seed corn was covered with smut spores and planted in six rows of fourteen hills each, among similar rows planted with the same seed not smutted. On June 8th, smut spores in water were poured on one row of fourteen hills not previously treated with the smut. September 14th the six rows from smutted seed had smut on twenty stalks. Six

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