Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1903-02-27
TREATMENT OF PEACH LEAF
CURL.

| reach le2f 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, a 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
poYerished, 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. It 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
oeen 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
nave 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, 1t Is altogether too
lste' and spraying, so far as the
leaf curl Is concerned, would be a
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 or
other mixture used, for If limb or a
portion Of limb be missed the fungus
will develop upon it. aY6 thus tend
to re-infect to some degree the rest
OF the tree.
Formula and Directions.
bordeaux Is composed Of q mix.
ture of the diluted solutions of lime
and bluestone and may be prepared
from the following formula:
pounds fresh, unsIaked lime.
pounds bluestone (sulphate Of COD.
PERI.
90 gallons Of water.
AS much as six pounds Of bluestone
and an equal quantity of lime NAV 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 quantity
OF bluestone should be reduced TO :
pounds and that of lime increased to
nine pounds, because of the Injurious
effect that strong Bordeaux has unon
peach foliage.
Stake the lime carefully with Just
enough water to reduce 1t to the con-
slstency of thick cream and dilute to
% gallons; dissolve the bluestone in
70 gallons OF water also. Then In q
separate barrel mix the two solutions
first pouring in bucket of one and
then a bucket of the other, or better
stlIl, pouring then In simultaneously
After thoroughly stirring the mixture
and allowing it to stand for a few mo-
ments 1t Is ready to be strained into
the spray pump tank.
When thus prepared, Bordeaux is
at its best, consisting of fine floc.
ulent. pale blue precipitate suspended
IN the water. If either or both of the
ingredients should be in concentrated
solution when the mixing is done the
resulting Bordeaux in coarser grain.
cd, settles much more quickly and is
less effective as spray. Even the
best will begin to settle quickly on
standing, and it Is essential that the
spray pump be supplied with an agi.
tator that will keep it stirred in the
act of pumping.
| ~~~S H~O~ShSAV nay JIG &OIIGu
solution more quickly and readily by
suspending it in the corner of fer.
tilizer sack just below the surface of
the water, or by the use Of a small
quantity Of hot water.
When considerable amount OF
spraying is to be done, it will be
found convenient to prepare stock So
lutions by dissolving rs pounds or so
pounds of bluestone in an equal num-
Der Of gallons of water, while like
amount Of lime Is slaked and diluted
to similar volume. Then by dipping
out five gallons of either solution It
will be seen that an equal number
Of POUNDS of lime and bluestone will
be secured, and the separate Weighing
and dissolvinS Of the small lots be