86 Aiacrivaii Hoiiiculturul Socidv. 



the host, and Htndy more carefully the iiiiiure di" iliis most insidious enemy. 

 It will be a long while, however, before man quits eatinj? peaches if he waits 

 on the yellows alone to cut off his supply. The ingenious and observing 

 will tiianujic soiiuhow to grow a few peaches even in the yellows' region. 



The leaf-curl is rather too trilling for serious lii!idcrance. Some varie- 

 ties resist much better than others. 



" Root-rot" is more commoidy the result of poor drainage than a true 

 disease. The feeding root fibers, by being submerged too long in wet 

 weather, are drowned; then various scavenger fungi devour the dead roots, 

 and the tree, supported only by a few surface roots, at last tumbles over. 

 There are, however, true diseases, microscopic organisms, which, in some 

 regions near the gulf, attack healthy roots of the peach, mulberry, Hg, wil- 

 low, cow iieas, grape, tomato, cucumber, etc. This is more often called the 

 " root knot," and is traced directly to a minute worm of the genus Anqui- 

 lula. In some places in Florida it is quite destructive to the fig, mulberry 

 and peach. It causes bead-like knots to at first develop on the small roots; 

 afterward decay sets in, and the plant or tree dies. No remedy is known. 



It is also claimed that excess of alkali in the soil causes root rot. Such 

 disease shows itself in excessively limy soils in the sickly yellowing of the 

 leaves after long periods of wet weather. This by the French is termed 

 chlorosis when in the grape. It simply means yellows, but it is altogether 

 a difllerent disease from peach yellows, which seems worse in i)oor, sandy 

 soils, devoiil of lime. 



DIFFICULTY IN MARKETING. 



The difficulty of marketing the peach is remedied only by the pushing, 

 industrious man, possessed of shrewd business tact. It is a fact that horti- 

 culture nowhere has a place for the sluggard, unless he be a tramp in the 

 back row of the orchard or melon patch. Even then the shotgun and watch- 

 dog appear in his dreams, and sometimes when he is awake. 



The commercial evaporator and cannery are the markets' great safety- 

 valves. Especially is this the case with this otherwise perishable fruit. With 

 these and all the aids of scientific investigation in discovering causes and 

 preventives of failure, as well as means of success, we would predict that, 

 not only future, hut universal man will come to eat less meat, less tobacco, 

 and more peaches. He will find it better, too, to drink less cofiee and whisky, 

 and more water, cider and wine. 



The large planter of peaches ever inquires after four classes, namely : 

 the best producers, the best shippers, the best canners and the best evap- 

 oraters. 



I have already named a short list which embodies these requirements 

 in a marked degree; but the classilication of these with reference to each 

 requirement would be more satisfactory; so I present the following lists, 

 which can be extended or modified for different localities. This suits 

 North Texas : 



