The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-12-18
Little Peach.

the above name, for want of better,
has been given, has devastated the
peach orchards of Allegan county, Mich
igan, and it was later on found in western
New York Although it has been studied
in the orchard and the laboratory for
several years, the United States depart
ment of agriculture having had one or
two of its experts working upon IT for
five or six seasons, nothing is known re-
garding the exact nature of the disease.
In this respect it resembles peach "yel-
lows, but while it was az first consld-
cred form of that disease, its charac-
teristics are, in the main, quite different
from those of that disease. In fact, the
peculiarties of one disease are often
negatived in the other. Thus. while vel
lows caused the fruit to ripen prema-
turely, in "little peach" the ripening is
later than upon healthy trees. In vel
lows the diseased fruit is often larger
than the healthy, while, as its name i'm
plies. the disease popularity known as
little peach, prevents the development
of the fruit TO its normal size, in adj
vanced stages of the disease being but
little larger than good sized peach pits.
While the disease soon spreads SO as
TO involve the entire tree, it often shows
upon a single branch, while the other
portions of the tree are apparently
healthy.
Although person familiar with the
appearance of the disease has no diff
Guilty in detecting it in well advanced
cases, there are few who can recognize
it with certainty in its earlier stages, as
there are various other conditions that
may produce an effect so similar that
only an expert can distinguish them.
Thus in wet season, or when trees are
growing with wet feet" the foliage has
"A slight resemblance to that caused by
''little peach"
One of the first things that will be
noticed when the trees are beginning to
show the effects of little peach" is
slight dropping of the foliage, as if suf-
fering from lack of moisture. Instead
of holding their usual V shape, the up
per surface becomes flattened with
slight downward curve at the tip. Then
follows the development of water
sprouts upon the branches. Instead of
being wiry with small pointed leaves as
IN the case of "yellows,' these tWigs up
on trees infected with little peach" are
of full size, but are rather short jointed,
so that the leaves, especially towards
the ends of the shoots, have slightly
tufted appearance
While the nature of the disease is not
understood, it has been ascertained that
1t can be conveyed by innoculation, and
that the pits from diseased trees will not
grow, being quite watery, especially af-
ter the disease is well advanced. 1t is
also highly contagious and in sections
where it has been watched carefully for
number of years it is considered as
more to be feared than "yelows." owing
TO the difficulty of detecting it in its
early stages.
Thus far no cause has been found for
the disease, as it appears upon all kinds
of soil and under all conditions. While
perhaps most troublesome upon poor
soil and in neglected orchards, it appears
IN those best cared for and under the
most favorable conditions of soil and To-
cation, and spreads rapidly in all direc-
TONS although it seems to go most rap
idly with the prevailing winds.
Although the use of manure and fer
tiliZers seems to enable trees that have
been attacked to resist for a time the
development of the disease, it is doubt
full If a tree was ever actually cured.
The only method of handling it, that APP
pears to be in any way etfectual, is to re-
move all trees that show any indication
Of the presence of the disease.
During the past season the horticul-
tural department of the Michigan ex-
pertinent station has been engaged with
the bureau of plant industry of the
United States department of agriculture
in an experiment on an extensive scale.
to test the effect of prompt eradication
OF the disease.
In the western portion of Allegan
county, where the disease first appeared,
there is tract covering about seven
square miles upon which there are or
chards containing about 100000 peach
trees. This area is somewhat isolated
from other orchards so that there is but
little danger Of re-infecticn from dis
eased trees outside this area.
During the past summer the trees up
on the above area have been examined
three times, the diseased trees have been
marked and have been promptly re-
moved by the owners. As result of three
inspections about 5000 diseased trees
we're found 1t is proposed to continue
the work for two years and it is hoped
to thus secure definite knowledge in this
way regarding the effect of eradication.
Thus far individual efforts in this line
have given favorable results. 1t should
be stated that the Michigan orchard
laws place "little peach" among the con-
tagious diseases and require the prompt
removal of all trees found to be infested
The difficulty of having the law properly
enforced has been due to the fact that
the commissioners in whose hands the
enforcement of the law has been placed
are not sufficiently familiar with the an.
pearance of the disease to enable tbom
,ob