Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-05-25
PEACH LEAF CURL.
An Increasing Wave of 1t In the
North the Past Few Seasons.

An Increasing Wave of 1t In the
North the Past Few Seasons.
Peach leaf curl has been long known
TO the orchardist, but the seasons of
1897 and 1898 have brought it into a
prominence by no means pleasing in
many peach growing sections. This year
everybody viii be on the alert for its
first appearance, and it is important
that all should be prepared to combat it.
The disease can often be detected when
the leaf buds have hut slightly opened
The usual early indications are a rough
ening of the surface on the young leaves
and heightened color B. NJ Duggar of
the Cornell university station. has Civ
en-, in bulletin 164, brief and clear ac-
count of the fungus which causes leaf
curl, and lie has outlined treatment
which has proved most satisfactory.
With the present knowledge Of peach
leaf curl he makes the following special
recommendations
First. Spray thoroughly with strong
bordeaux mixture just previous TO the
swelling of the buds, late in March, or
very early in April seems desirable in
this latitude.
Second Spray again with weaker
bordeaux as soon as the petals of the
flower have fallen or after the work of
the bees is over.
Third. Spray again with weak Dor
deaux when the first leaves are just full
grown or at just about the time that
the spores of the fungus are developing
Professor Duggar next discusses his
recommendations thus;
First. Why not spray in midwinterf
Midwinter spraying may be quite eff
fective. but there is every reason to be-
lieve that the April spraying will be
better, for if that is near the time that
the buds are infected the spores will
then be more readily killed. If a time
when other work is not pressing is of
first importance, spray earlier. Why
not use copper sulphate solutionI 1t
may be quite as effective, but bordeaux
adheres better and would be more like
" to prevent infections throughout a
period.
Second. Why's Late infections by
spores from the ground or from neigh
boring fields may be thus guarded
against.
Third. This spraying is to cover the
leaves with bordeaux at about the time
the fungus is fruiting, hoping not only
to prevent summer infection. but to
cover places where the spores may lodge
in order to pass the winter.
Professor Duggar further says: In
making the first spraying, the all i'm
portant one, strong bordeaux mixture
may be used, and every twig should be
so well covered that the blue color APP
pears as a distinct coating after the APP
plication has dried However, under
certain conditions the foliage of the
peach seems to be easily injured by
spraying with bordeaux mixture. With
weak bordeaux mixture properly made
I have not been able to produce any in
jury on the trees experimental upon.
The customary formula for bordeaux
mixture is; Copper sulphate (blue Wit
riol), 6 pounds unslaked lime (good
quality. pounds; water so gallons.
In spraying the foliage of peach
trees reduce the copper sulphate to four
pounds Even this may seem strong. 1t
should not, however, be condemned IN
til tried, and when tried the mixture
should be made by the one method
which has been NEST successful To dis
solve the copper sulphate suspend it in
coarse sack in a barrel containing %
gallons of water Slack the lime fuse
only the best) slowly and then dilute
it to 25 gallons. Pour the two together
in this dilute form, stirring for a few
minutes. Stir before using. If large
quantities of the mixture are desired,
stock solutions may be made as usual
Dissolve. say. so pounds of the copper
sulphate in barrel containing as many
gallons of water. The stock solution of
lime may be made of the same strength.
Then each gallon means pound of the
substance wanted. When the mixture
is made dilute each solution separately
before pouring them together.