The University of Nebraska
Title
The University of Nebraska
Subject
Charles Bessey and UNL
Description
An example of an article Charles E. Bessey wrote in the Daily Nebraskan about his research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Creator
The Daily Nebraskan
Source
UNL Archives and Special Collections
Publisher
Charles E. Bessey
Contributor
UNL Archives and Special Collections
Rights
UNL Archives and Special Collections
Type
Newspaper Article
Text
The University of Nebraska.
In the department of botany and horniculture a study has been made of the premature dropping of the plums, to which attention has frequently been called. Two causes have been found, as follows.
1st-Many of the plums were pierced when young by an insect known as the plum gouger (Anthonomus prunicidia), which laid one or more eggs: these hatched into little grubs, which may now be found in the stone, eating the kernel. In a short time the groups will hatch into small beetles. These will lay eggs in the young plums next spring, and so continue the mischief.
The remedy suggested is to allow the pigs to eat up all the infested fruit. Keep pigs in your plum or chard.
2nd-The other disease of the plum is due to a parasitic fungus which causes the tissues of the fruit to rot, and finally to dry up into a black mouldy mass. Upon examining such plums under microscope fungus was found to which the name of Oidium fruct igenum has been given. We may for the present call it the plum-rot fungus. It grows through the tissues of the plum and produces myriads of spores. The latter are blown upon other plums, and germinating there, produce more rot, and so on. The disease is, therefore, highly infectious, and the presence of one rotting plum may become the cause of the destruction of the greater part of the crop of a tree.
The early removal of all diseased plums (now, of course, too late for this year), is the only practicable remedy. As the fungus germination more quicly upon injured spots, it frequently accompanies the plum gouger mentioned above.
I shall be glad to hear from correspondents as to these diseases.
Charles E. Bessey
In the department of botany and horniculture a study has been made of the premature dropping of the plums, to which attention has frequently been called. Two causes have been found, as follows.
1st-Many of the plums were pierced when young by an insect known as the plum gouger (Anthonomus prunicidia), which laid one or more eggs: these hatched into little grubs, which may now be found in the stone, eating the kernel. In a short time the groups will hatch into small beetles. These will lay eggs in the young plums next spring, and so continue the mischief.
The remedy suggested is to allow the pigs to eat up all the infested fruit. Keep pigs in your plum or chard.
2nd-The other disease of the plum is due to a parasitic fungus which causes the tissues of the fruit to rot, and finally to dry up into a black mouldy mass. Upon examining such plums under microscope fungus was found to which the name of Oidium fruct igenum has been given. We may for the present call it the plum-rot fungus. It grows through the tissues of the plum and produces myriads of spores. The latter are blown upon other plums, and germinating there, produce more rot, and so on. The disease is, therefore, highly infectious, and the presence of one rotting plum may become the cause of the destruction of the greater part of the crop of a tree.
The early removal of all diseased plums (now, of course, too late for this year), is the only practicable remedy. As the fungus germination more quicly upon injured spots, it frequently accompanies the plum gouger mentioned above.
I shall be glad to hear from correspondents as to these diseases.
Charles E. Bessey
