Arizona republican., 1891-03-27
ABOUT PEACHES
Recipes for the Cure of Curl of the Leaf in
 the Peach Tree.

l
 Recipes for the Cure of Curl of the Leaf in
 the Peach Tree.
 This, though somewhat of local dis
 case, is widespread througout the whole
 coast, and entirely prevents the fruiting
 of many fine peaches, northerly, near
 the ocean, and is more or less injurious
 to nearly every variety in some seasons,
 thus rendering it useless to plant peach
 trees in otherwise good fruit climates
 and soils. Cool, wet springs, fogs, rich
 damp valleys, even in the dry interior,
 favor its development. Like apple scab,
 a somewhat similar fungus, it is very
 much more injurious to some varieties
 of peaches than others. As a rule the very early, very late and clingstones are the least injured. Curl of the leaf of
 the peach is caused by very minute parasitic fungus attacking the first growth process of the tree in the spring, even as the buds expand, and continues to develop on the flowers and leaves so long as the weather remains damp and cool. In locations that continue damp and cool late it continues to prey for a long time on fruit leaves and twigs un- til all are dead. Sometimes it kills the tree outright, In warm, dry seasons it is scarcely noticed anywhere, and, like the apple scab, it may be considered worse on this coast than in the east. But here, when it gets through, it quits, that is, our dry summers are not favor able to it, while east long continued cold and wet will develop it at any time in the growing season, even late in autumn. It first shows to the eye on the leaf in small brick-red spots. These in- crease in numbers but not in size, and soon involve the whole leaf, which grad ually curls up and falls. If the leaves are all involved and fall, the young fruit generally perishes, and the crop is lost. In all cases where the leaves nearly all fall the tree receives more or less in- furious check. Usually new leaves start out at once, and, the season becoming dry, no more is seen of the curl. But in the worst seasons of long continued l cold and damp the second crop of leaves | and twigs is attacked, and further se- | rious injury is done. In cool seasons, in | the dry interior, when the fruit has es- capped, the fungus seems to live around | the stem and base of the fruit of some varieties, eventually causing the seed to | cease growing and die. The shell of the seeds and the fruit cracks open at the base, in which some undetermined insect, probably the dried fruit moth, lays its egg and developes a small cater pillar. It is not proven that these are caused by the curl leaf fungus, but facts point strongly in that direction.
 REMEDIES,
 Experiments carried on at the Califor- mia state university last spring, one of the very worst seasons ever known for peach leaf curl, show conclusively that this disease of the peach can be con trolled- Berkeley is the worst climate on the coast for peach leaf curl. First spray the trees just as the buds begin to swells with very strong solution of sul- phate of iron (copperas), at least pound to gallon of water; wet the tree in every part and the ground under it. When part of the flowers show red, and none are open, spray with very fine spray. Dissolve two pounds of sulphate of copper in two gallons of water; in another vessel slake two pounds of lime in two gallons of hot water; when this last IS cold stir it up thoroughly from the bottom and pour it slowly into the cop per solution. Let it stand day or two then add twenty gallons of water, stir ring all together thoroughly. Strain through fine sieve and spray with fine nozzle. simply moistening all growth points, twigs and flowers. If the weather continues cold and damp repeat , the spray in week or ten days. A simple and effective copper so. lution for the second spraying that has given perfect results, is prepared as fol. lows: Dissolve in one quart of liquid ammonia four ounces of carbonate of copper, keep in glass bottle, using one ounce of the solution to a gallon of water. This is also a sure cure for the shot hole fungus of the apricot and plum. Grape mildew and many other scales, rusts and mildews may be sue. treated by this remedy. It must be kept in mind that these copper I solutions are simply preventives, and that after the fungus has entered the tissues of the plant they cannot reach it , to kill it, they simply prevent the spores from germinating; but where there are successive generations from spores, If E thoroughly applied, they prevent spread and further injury. D. B. WEIR.