Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-16
FARM AND ORCHARD.
SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION ON THE PEACH
AND POTATO ROT.
Making Good Butter-Black walnut
Fruit Growing-Poultry Piclings
Farm Notes.

Farm Notes.
In the September issue of the journal
of Mycology," published quarterly by the
Section of Vegetable Pathology of the
United States Department of Agriculture,
DIR. Erwin F. Smith contributes paper on
'ePeach Rot and Peach Blight" embody-
ing the result of his observations in
Michigan, Maryland, Delaware and other
peach-growing sections of the United
States. The loss from peach rot is often
enormous, some years amounting to nearly
the entire crop. At all times it is consid-
cradle. In 1888 on the Delaware and
Chesapeake peninsula the loss during one
week amounted to nearly half million
dollars. The loss this year was also seri-
Gus.
The disease is due to parasite fungus
which produces many small ash-gray tufts
on the discolored surface of the rotting
fruit. These tufts consist principally of
spore dust, which is carried by animals,
washed by rains or blown about, and causes
the rot to develop in sound peaches when
ever it falls upon them in proper condi-
tions. The most favorable conditions for
the termination Of the spores and the
rapid spread Of the rot are hot and moist
weather.
DIR, Smith finds that this fungus also
causes a very characteristic blight of the
twigs and branches. In rainy seasons this
is quite apt to occur, especially if the rot
ting fruits are allowed to remain upon the
tree. He also finds that the fungus lives
over winter in the decayed fruits, and in
this way is reproduced year after year. In
the spring these dry, wrinkled fruits,
which have been left upon the earth or
still cling to the branches, swell and soften
under the influence of repeated rains, and
produce new crop of spores exactly like
those of the previous season.
The practical Importance Of this discoy-
cry is very great. Could the blighted
twigs and rotted fruits of one season be en-
tirely destroyed the fungus would disap-
pear and the rot with it. The more
nearly complete this removal of infectious
material can be made the safer will be the
succeeding crop. During the growing
season the fungus produces innumerable
spores and spreads its infection very
quickly For this reason all rotting
peaches should be removed from the trees
and buried or burned as soon as discov-
cred This can be done during the pick
ing season without much additional ex-
pense; but it may frequently be necessary
to do it before the fruit is ripe, if the
grower would save any portion of it in a
marketable condition. Finally, not a
single rotted fruit should be allowed to
winter over All must be destroyed. If
fruit-growers would unite and follow this
method Systematically for series of years,
the loss from peach rot would be reduced
to uncomfortable proportions. These re-
marks apply also to the rot of plums and
cherries which is caused by the same fun
gus, known technically as Momha frtcti-
genG.
In the same issue, Clarence NJ. Weed, of
the Ohio Experiment Station, summarizes
a series of experiments on prevention of
potato rot (Pbyophthora) by use of the
Bordeaux mixture This he sprayed upon
the foliage four times during the growing
season-May 18th, June 9th, June 29th
and July 10Th.
-Four varieties were treated, and the rot
was sufficiently prevalent to make the ex-
pertinent decisive. The blight appeared
in the experiment field about the middle
of June, and did serious damage for the
next six weeks. The sprayed vines showed
much less injury, remaining green after
the others were dead, while at harvest the
difference in the yield of tubers was
enough to many times cover the cost of
if tot Tod
yielded 800 pounds ounces of tubers,
three-fourths of which were Of market
able size, while similar untreated area
produced only pa pounds 4 ounces, about
three-ffths of which were marketable
This Is equivalent to a difference per acre
of 60 bushels in favor of the treatment.
The tubers on the treated portion were
also much freer from scab. The author
concludes that a large proportion OF the
injury done by potato rot can be pre-
vented by spraying the vines with the Bor-
deaux mixture, and says that by adding
London Purple the same treatment will
answer for the Colorado potato beetle,
To satisfy a popular demand from par
ties especially interested IN the subject
matter of the two papers referred to above,
a special edition Of each has been pub
lished separately from the Journal in which
they appear, and either Of them will be
sent free on application to 3. I. Galloway,
Z. s Department of Agriculture, Wash
ington, d. c.
MAKING GOOD BUTTER.
Wisconsin, for instance, produces aunu-
ally about 80 100000 poundSof butter. Not
more than six or eight million pounds can
be classed as irst-class the balance goes
into the general category of ordinary farm
butter. What is the matter with it? The
milk as it came from the COW was as rule
all right. Clearly, then, it is the judg-
ment that handled the milk after it left
the COW, that made the butter and then
sold it. that is to blame for the wretched
result. What is the reason that these
farmers and their wives are content to 20
along year after year doing such unproft-
able work? Simply a lack of good dairy
judgment, that is all. In the first place a
vast majority have no judgment Of what
constitutes real fine market butter, A
good way TO get that judgment would be to
send to Chicago or some other good butter
market, and buy a small package of gilt
edge butter, such as brings the highest mar
ket price, and set to work to seriously
study the color, style OF package, grain
texture, and above all the flavor. There
is Just where the pinch comes. The taste
of the farmer or ibis wife may be suited
with their butter, but the market taste is
not. \ little study ike this, at small cost.
will correct lifetime of erroneous notions.
Hoarfs DaigymaR.
SOME SENSIBLE SUGGESTIONS.
In an article contributed to the Country
Gentleman, Henry Stewart says: One
more need OF the dairy which should not
be passed over is, the production Of all the
dnnaast;, s,1n,,lias Hat COZ, be c-rn-rn On