The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-07-24
FUNGUS Diseases and Insect Pests of
Peach.

diseases, and roone should venture upon
peach growing In commercial way with
out having a reasonably good understand
ing of what the difficulties are in this
direction. Peach yellows and peach
rosette are two of the most destructive
diseases No remedy is yet known for
either, but experience seems to show
clearly that yellows may be held i'm check
by the destruction of affected trees as
soon as they appear, provided all the
growers of community unite in practic.
ing IT, In planting an orchard the
grower will of course, if possible select
region free or nearly free from such
diseases. These diseases attack all
varieties. Mildew, on the contrary. is a
fungous disease which appears to be re-
stricted principally to certain sorts-the
serrate-leaved varieties Ii is seriously
troublesome only on the Pacific coast. In
the eastern states the only remedy yet
known Is to pull out the affected varie-
ties and plant others. Peach curl is
disease dstorting the foliage and causing
it to fall in the spring. It's widespreadan and
very serious some years; other years it is
but little prevalent. This disease also
has been most troublesome in California.
1t is due to a fungous which may be held
in check by spraying, as appears clearly
from recent experiments made i'm Cali
fornia by Newton b. Pierce, of this diyi-
sion. The peach cercospora has also
given some trouble in California. \ flung
Gus trouble known as black spot, often
leads to cracking of the fruit and sub
sequent rot, especially in rainy periods.
This is most prevalent on late varieties,
Rot is one of the most serious troubles
that visit the grower. The disease is due
to the fungous, and in wet, hot weather it
spreads with great rapidity from fruit TO
fruit, and even attacks the peaches In
baskets on the way to market and while
on the fruit stands. 1t is a disease that
winters over in the rotted fruits of the
previous year which either remain hang
ing on the tree or have fallen to the
ground, and is to be combated by care
fully removing and burning all affected
fruit. If this is not done Systematically
the crop may be destroyed even beforeit
is out of blossom. Spraying with copper
fungicides has been recommended for
this disease, but as yet the evidence in
their favor is not conclusive. Sulphur
dust blown into the trees during the
prevalence of the rot has also been recon-
mended and appears to have some value.
A safe. efficient powder or spray for the
prevention of this disease would be in
valuable.
Crown gals or root gals are irregular
tumors on the trunk and roots. These
are often of large size and occur most
frequently at the junction of the root
and stem. This disease occurs in many
parts of the United States, in nurseries
as well as in orchards, and is seriously
prevalent in parts of New Jersey, Texas,
and California No remedy is known,
and even the cause is yet to be determin
ed. Many growers think the disease is
communicable, and in planting orchards
il is safe to reject all trees showing any
signs of it.
The root knot, which should be care
fully distinguished from the preceding,
is a disease caused by a small "eel worm |
or nematode. The knots due to tins
cause are generally much smaller than
the preceding, and on microscopic exam
ination of fresh knots it is usually not
difficult to find cavities containing the
eel worm in various stages OF develop
ment. This nematode attacks the roots
of a great variety of plants and Is quite
troublesome to the peach IN parts OF
Georgia. Florida, and other gulf states,
The only symptom which the writer has
seen above ground was scanty growth,
No good remedy is known. OF course
trees affected with root-knot should
never be planted.
Borers are exceedingly troublesome in
some regions, especially on sandy soils.
A great number of washes and various
labor-saving devices have been recon-
mended. but the best method for dealing
with them is the old one of carefully I'M
covering the trunk of the tree at the
earth surface and digging them out with
sharp knife. In sandy lands they
should be attended to twice year
spring and fall 1t is back-aching work,
but can scarcely be trusted TO an mex
perienced hand, who will often do more
injury to the trees than an army OF Dor
ers. OF labor saving devices one OF the
best, especially Tor young trees - Iile
covering of the base of the trunk I'm early
snring with straw or cheap Chinese mat
ting the lower end of which should be
buried an inch or two in the soil. This
compels the insect to oviposit on the
upper part of the trunk and on the
branches. where the larvae are easily
found and where they do less general and
permanent injury. l..
The pin borer, a scolytid beetle OF
European origin has in recent years be-
come rather troublesome IN the eastern
part of the United States No good
remedy is known, but some trouble can
he avoided by annually removing all
dead wood from the orchard and taking
care that it is not piled anywhere in the
vicinity. This should be done in the fall
or winter. The insects prefer sickly trees,
but while the larvae are generally confin-
ed to such trees, the mature beetle often