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Show DISEASES OF PEACH TREES All Can Usually Be Controlled by Proper System of Spraying-Location Spraying-Location Is Main Problem. (By C. H. THOMPSON.) me peach Is grown over a wide range of country, but its really successful suc-cessful commercial culture is limited to a comparatively few localities. The main difficulty in growing the peach lies in the early swelling and blossoming blossom-ing habit of the flower buds. A week or so of mild weather in winter or early spring may start the buds Into growth, only to be killed by a subsequent subse-quent frost. One of the main problems in peacb culture is to select a location for the orchard where the buds are least likely like-ly to start Into growth and bloom before be-fore settled weather comes in the Brown Rot of Peach. Bpring. The rule Is to avoid low lands for peaches; late frosts are severest there. Orchards planted on sunnj southern slopes come Into bloom early Avoid such locations when possible A high situation, where the cool air will flow off down to lower levels, anr a northern or western aspect is gen erally the best for a peach orchard. There are several diseases of peact trees which also causes destruction If not promptly controlled, but as proper spraying will accomplish this there is really no reason why a peacb orchard should show a loss on accouni of diseases. The brown rot is a most destructive disease of the peach, ft thrives besl in warm, moist weather and under favorable conditions may affect the flowers. The disease may also affec! the twigs and is often referred to a "twig blight." "Mummy peaches" art caused by this disease. These should always be removed. Bordeaux or self-boiled lime sulphur combined with arsenate of lead controls the disease. dis-ease. Spray just after the blossoms fall with arsenate of lead. Two weeks later spray with bordeaux and arsenate arsen-ate of lead. Apply bordeaux every ten days or two weeks until fruit begins to color. Crown gall forms knotty galls on the lower part of the trunk and roots of peach trees and is very easy to detect. de-tect. Trees affected with this disease should never be planted. Leaf curl is a disease which is verj wide spread, being found practically everywhere the peach is grown. It appears as soon as the buds begin to open and shows a characteristic curling curl-ing of the leaves and deeper green color. The twigs are also affected and become swollen and have a lighter color. Self-boiled lime-sulphur wash is said to be especially valuable for this disease. Rosette is a contagious disease for which no positive rrmedy has yet been found. The cause of the disease is unknown and the best remedy is tc dig up and destroy the tree. The yellows, like the rosette, is e serious disease of the peach. It ap Peach Leaf Curl. pears as a yellow discoloration on the leaves and causes premature ripening of the fruit and death of the tree. To control this disease, spray with lime-sulphur if San Jose scale is present. |