Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1903-03-05
TREATMENT OF PEACH LEAF
CURL.

(By w. NJ. Scott. State Entomologist).
Peach leaf curl is disease which
appears in our orchards in early
spring, causing the young and tender
foliage to thicken, curl and finally
drop. Although it may occasionally
be seen on the twigs, its attacks are
confined principally to the leaves.
In the early part Of the summer all
the affected leaves are shed and moth
ing more is seen of the disease until
the following spring. When an or
chard is but slightly affected, new
crop of leaves is quickly produced and
the damage is slight; but when, as fire.
quently happens, the greater part OF
the foliage is involved, the tree is i'm
poverished, the present crop of fruit
destroyed, and future crops affected.
Prevention by Spraying.
Few fungus diseases affecting cul
tivated plants have proven more cas-
lily or surely prevented than the Leaf
Curl of the peach. 1t has been demon
strated beyond question that even
the worst affected orchards may, by
proper spraying at the right season,
be practically freed of the pest, and
with a single application of the treat
ment. Numerous fungicides have
been used and recommended, but of
them all the safest and most effective
has proven to be the Bordeaux mix
ture. This should be applied in late
winter or early spring. After the buds
have become swollen the germs of the
fungus begin to penetrate the tissues
and the treatment is therefore less
effective, so that it is necessary to
begin spraying in time to finish at
least two weeks before the trees are
likely to bloom A little later when
the young leaves have begun to push
out and the evidences of the disease
become apparent. it is altogether too
late, and spraying, so far as the
leaf curl is concerned, would be q
waste of labor and material.
1t is very important in spraying for
this disease that every part of the
tree be reached by the Bordeaux on
other mixture used, for if a limb or a
portion of limb be missed the fungus
will develop upon it, and thus tend
to re-infect to some degree the rest
| of the tree.
Formula and Directions.
Bordeaux is composed of a mix
ture of the diluted solutions of lime
and bluestone and may be prepared
| from the following formula:
pounds fresh, unslaked lime.
pounds bluestone (sulphate of cop
PERI.
| 90 gallons of water.
AS much as six pounds Of bluestone
and an equal quantity of lime may be
employed with safety and perhaps
advantageously in some cases. How
ever, when it is desired to use Bor
deaux for brown rot or other diseases
after the foliage is out, the quantit,
of bluestone should be reduced to
pounds and that of lime increased IL
nine pounds, because of the iniuriou.
effect that strong Bordeaux has upor
peach foliage.
Stake the lime carefully with JUS
enough water to reduce it to the CON
sistency of thick cream and dilute tt
rs gallons; dissolve the bluestone il
25 gallons of water also. Then in ;
separate barrel mix the two solutions
first pouring in bucket of one am
then a bucket of the other. or bette
still, pouring then in simultaneously
After thoroughly stirring the mixture
and allowing it to stand for a few mo
ments it is ready to be strained int,
the spray pump tank.
When thus prepared, Bordeaux Il
at its best, consisting Of a fine foe
ulent, pale blue precipitate suspende,
in the water. If either or both of tn,
ingredients should be in concentrated
solution when the mixing is done th,
resulting Bordeaux in coarser grain
ed, settles much more quickly and 4
less effective as a spray. Even tn,
best will begin to settle quickly Oh
standing, and it is essential that tn,
spray pump be supplied with an agi
tator that will keep it stirred in tn
act of pumping.
The bluestone may be gotten int
solution more quickly and readily b,
suspending it in the corner of a feY
tilizer sack just below the surface O
the water, or by the use of small
quantity of hot water.
When considerable amount O
spraying is to be done, it will b
found convenient to prepare stock &c
luti0ns by dissolying 25 pounds or 8
pounds of bluestone in an equal nun
Der of gallons of water, while a lik
amount of lime is slaked and dilute
to similar volume. Then by dippin,
out five gallons Of either solution /
will be seen that an equal numbe
of pounds of lime and bluestone will
be secured, and the separate weighin
and dissolving of the small lots b
avoided. The two ingredients shout
never be mixed unless diluted as be
fore described.