The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-07-05
aariellltleral.

] have read With much interest," lhe Icg
tar from Mr., DANA, enclosed in your note
of March Isl. describing the effects of the
Red Spider on the Peach trees in Massa-
chusetts. and also examined with great
care the eggs on the peach bark sent with
the letter. This species is new to me.
/ have no doubt Of tho truth Of Mr..
DASA's statement. that trees so infested
will. and must be victims to such pest, |
and those tre. do die Of the yellows; but
that The Red Spider is the only cause of
yellows. must beg leave to doubt After
years of careful investigation, have ar
rived at the conclusion that whatever i'm
pedes the healthy circulation Of the sap OF
that delicate /, 'e will produce the yollows;
and then. &C rally speaking, death is
inevitable, anG ,s sooner the tree Is cut
down and burned, the better it will be for
the fruit grower, as it saves time and trou-
bic.
That the Rcd Spider is not the only
cause of the yelIows in tle Peach tree can
be proved beyond doubt, as all intelligent
observers will agree, that whatever cause
obstrucls the natural flow of the sap, either
in the spring or autumn, will produce dis
ease in that delicate organized tree.
The Preach tree, like tho Gtape, vine is
supplied with rejundanco Of sap, which
pours into the large and tender sap vessels
as soon rs tho FIRST warm rays Of the sun
tlaws tho ealth aud quickens the sap in
the roots every bud swels. anI the rush
ing sap struggles to expand itselfin leaves
and nowe s. II this takos place prema-
turely, sever frost follows. the sap freez
ing bursts tho sap vessels. .blights the leaf
aud flower buds, and general disorgan
ization Of the functions Of the tree follows.
Tho sap, obsructed in its course, forms
thousand new channels, shoots out in nu-
nsrous sickly yellow twigs. and ooEes out
in gum from evory wound or split, in the
bark, then tho tree must die.
The well known 4Hlycria ecitoSd. or Peach
Borer, is a fruitful source Of the yellows in
all tho Middle aud Southern Statei. This
insect deposits her eggs in the bark near
the roots Of tho Peach tlee; the giubs
soon hatch and generate into the sap yes
sells, on which they feed fcrociously, ,guaw-
ing their tortuous paths III and around the
roots, cutting of the passage of the ascend
lug sap. For timo tho tree shows no
signs Of the concealed foe but as tho
grubs grow large, and their paths widen,
they girdic the tree tho branches then
wither, and the sickly shoots in Angus,
shaw that death is inevitable. The grubs
should have been taken out in July il ID
too late when the yellow, sicky shoots
appear then cut the tree down, burn il
and kill the grubs. or you raise a famil y
of cnomies for the next year.
The TomicaS imsinariS, n minute bark
beetle, proves, when numerous, n deadly
foe to the Peach tree. This little insect
sometimes makes its presence ielt rather
than acknowledged AZ, both in the grub
and beetle form, it inhabits the bark, and
seldom appears in the daytime. Its flight
is in tho night, and il generally spreads
from tree to tree. alighling on and infect.
ing those branches aud trees nearest the
one first attacked This, il is believed, II
tho infectious yeilows.
A few years since. eighteen trees in my
garden were destroyed in ono summer BY
the 7omicuS iininariSj tho eggs were do
posted in the sap vessels Of the bark, al
over tho lreos and in ono case not an inch
of tho bark escaped from tho top brancl
to the root the irritation was extreme
somewhat auslagous To tho itch in the hu
man skin. Tho obslructod, yet stimulat
ed sap threw Itself out at oyery bud il
sickly yellow twigs, and he tree diod o
exhaus,aiion. Tho disease spread rapid
ly, and eighteen treos were destroyed DO
fore tho cause was discovered. They ha,
been carefully protected from the bGic
(AJria, and tho dark green Of tho loave
in the spring showed there was nothing i
the soil that disagreed with the roots. Tn
trees were then cut down and burned, an
tho infectious yollows disappeared iron
tho garden
When Peach trees have boon cultivate,
for years in the Same garden, tho soil be
comes exhausted Of the nourishment tina
il essential 10 them. Care should then
taken to remove tho old soil. aud roplac
it with such as is woll known to agre
with Peach trees. Sickly trees may The
become healthy aud bear good fruit; bu
seodiinga raised from unhealthy trees vii
generally provo sickly, and die OF tho yrl
lows.
In tho noiglborhood of Baltimore, III
Peach is cultivated ir great perfection an
with little osre tho soil Of that region /
rich in mineral salts, such at alum an
saltpeter, Docs rot this lead to tho SUP
position that judIcious mingling Of thos
would bo essential in a soil where thcs
minerals Aro not found? And Peac
growers frequently mingle both these sal,
with common salt. aud sprinkle il aroun
thoir trOes, and # the trees are free from
insects tho result is always good.
II these observations drawn from liz
oicxporienoo in the culture of tho Peach
can be Of service TO you, Il will givo eroa
pleasure your friend NIL NORRIS.
We insert this communication witt
great pleasure, as probably no one in tn
world has devoted more time and careful
study to the subject than thc,distinguish
ed authoress, and in a acknowledgement o
whose services in the cause OF science, III
Academy Of Natural Sciences has recent
ly conferred on hOr tho dogrco Of honora
ry mombership-the first lady, we bo
lieyc, who has been so honorod by it,
Wehaye known Miss Morris Peach tree
to be heavily laden with fiuii, whom al
others have failed in the vicinity, attest
Ana tHa La. II =.