STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. I 79 



means, or such as are isolated and bear occasional crops, or have but 

 recently come into bearini^. 



Aofain, it sometimes occurs that all the fruit over a considerable extent 

 of country is killed in the bud by exti'eme cold ; by this means, the fol- 

 lowing^ summer the insects are starved out for want of fooct. The like 

 of this has probably occuned this year in much the larger part of 

 Southern Illinois. 



In addition to variation in varieties and insects to infest the fruit, 

 there are manv other causes operating to make peach-growing as diversi- 

 fied an occupation as one well could wish, as wnll appear as we proceed. 



It is common to divide peaches into three classes : ist, Glandless; 

 2d, Globose; 3d, Reniform. 



We have on several occasions stated that the glandless varieties were 

 subject to diseases of the leaves and young branches, generally to such 

 un extent that this class ought whollv to be discarded. 



The disease affecting this class is mildew, and in most years it 

 spreads from this to the other classes. In orchards where there is much 

 stung fruit, the mildew, which is common on trees of the first-mentioned 

 class, appears to spread and find a lodgment in the punctures made by 

 insects, and from these to the leaves, branches, and iinally to the sound 

 fruit, producing, as we think, that kind of disease now so commonly 

 known as peach-rot. It also produces the rot in plums, cherries, and other 

 fruits. In the past few years this rotting of the fruit has blighted 

 the hopes of thousands, and for aught wq can now see, it will continue 

 to do so for many years to come, or until orchardists shall do more to 

 check its spread. This rot in the peach, or rather the fungus which 

 causes it, is believed to exist in all our orchards, and will probably 

 continue as long as glandless peach trees are grown, or curculios are 

 permitted to make wounds in the fruit to which it can attach. 



By this we would not be imderstood that there would be no rot, pro- 

 \ ided all varieties which are destitute of leaf glands were removed, 

 because we are not sufficiently familiar with fungi producing rot, to say 

 whether it must first be propagated on leaves or branches and afterwards 

 spread to the fruit. Our own observation, and facts respecting it which 

 we have gathered from others, lead to the conviction that whenever the 

 conditions for its growth are favorable, it will appear at first attaching 

 most to wounded or weakened structures, and later, when it comes to be 

 greatly multiplied, then to the healthy fruit, also to leaves and branches, 

 rotting the former and killing the two latter. 



So little was there of peach rot at Alton, prior to 186:5, that no one 

 practically knew any thing about it. In the latter part of July of the year, 

 however, it appeared in several localities. It was first observed in an orchard 

 only one fourth of a mile from our own. The infected orchard is divided 

 by the highway, all the early glandless varieties are one side, and it was 

 on the fruit of these trees Ave first discovered the rot as a disease, that is, 

 sweeping off' all the fruit and destroying leaves and branches, as before 

 stated. The first intimation we had of the presence of this rot, was from 

 the stench which we encountered in passing along the road. 



