The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-02
THE PEACH CROP IN DANGER.
BLACK ROT is THREATENING THE
DESTRUCTION OF THE FRUIT.

In some Sections of the state, Ncta-
bly, Those surrounding Griffin ant
Macon, 1t Is Reported to Have De-
stroycd Already the Earlier Varfe-
ties of the Pench-Elbertas and
other Late Varieties Will Suffer II
Rains Do Not Cense-Pest a Form
of Fungus That Spreads Rapidly.
Mai. G. VI. RyaIs Carrying Hands
From savannah to Gather His
Crop.
The peach crop of Georgia is facing a
new danger now, one that has already
materially decreased it and that hes fair
to do damage even greater than it has
accomplished. The recent heavy rains
have been followed by the advent in the
orchards Of the dreaded scourge known
as the "ba ck rot
The black rot is a variety of fungus,
that forms on the skin of the fruit and
rapidly destroys it. When il is once in
troduced into an orchard it spreads from
tree to tree with rapidity almost incon-
cevable and the hapless fruit grower,
who one day has bzen estimating his ship
ments by the car load, finds out the next
that there will he carriers of peaches in
stead.
A hot and moist condition of the etmos-
phere seems to be favorable 20 the pro-
duction and spread of the fungus and in
several of the peach sections of the state
it has practically destroyed all of the
earlier varieties of peaches, that had not
been shipped before the heavy rains be-
gan. This is especially true in the section
surrounding Griffin, where the Expert
mental Farm is located, and where the
peach industry has been steadily increas-
ing in extent and importance during the
past few years.
A grower from that section. who was
in Savannah day or two ago. told story
illustrative of the conditions there. One
of hts neighbors was engaged in loading
a car with peaches, and as at nightfan the
car had not been filled with the carriers,
the completion of the work was deferred
until the following day With the dawn
the grower went to inspect his car and
found that during the night the black rot
had got in its work and that the peaches
were beginning TO assume the appearance
of the pulpy mass he knew they would
become long ere they had reached their
destination.
From the car the grower returned 70 his
packing house to find that the same con-
dition of things obtained there. The
peaches were rotting. In the orchards,
on the trees, the fruit also was beginning
to succumb to the ravages of the pest.
Not only are the earlier varieties de-
stroyed, but the growers fear that the Ell
bertas will suffer the same fate, if the
weather does not undergo material
change and the heavy rains cease to fall.
From condition of high expectation and
confidence in the success of the crop, a
large proportion of the growers of the
state have fallen into dependency and
say that the outlook is very gloomy in
deed.
The Griffin and Macon sections seem to
have suffered more from the pest than the
other fruit belts of the state. There IS a
preparation in use among the growers
with which the trees are sprayed, which
II is said will prevent the root from at
lacking them. Where this has been used
plentifully and carefully there is a no
ticeable absence of the rot, though trees
| just across the road may be attacked by
| 1t and the fruit be destroyed The prep
aration is compound of lime, sulphate
| of copper and water.
Maj. G. NJ. Ryals left Yesterday for his
| orchards at Ty Ty, taking with him about
| twenty-five hands, who will assist ir
picking and packing the peaches. Mai
Ryals carried a smaller number of ne
groes few days since and will probably
increase his force when the shipment OF
the principal crop, the Elbertas, begins
These peaches are expected TO be suffi-
GENTLY ripe to ship in large quantities
about the end of the present week or the
first of next week
The peaches now being shipped from
most of the orchards are of the Lady In
gold. Lone Star and Amelia varieties
which come in just ahead of the Elbertas
These peaches are of considerably better
quality than the earlier varieties, though
they do not compare in appearance OF
taste with the queen of the Georgia orch.
ards.
The prophesies of the Weather Bureau
do not authorize any very strongly held
hope that the weather will be permanent.
ly fair, though, it is promised the rar
will skip Georgia to-day. The success
of the crop depends almost entirely upor
a cessation of the rains and an era Of
dry, sunshiny weather. Should such
change fail to come it will mean a loss
of possibly hundreds of thousands of dol.
lars to the Georgia growers.