PEACH GROWING IN WILLAMETTE VALLEY 



By A. M. LaFollette, Salem, Oregon. Read at the 1910 meeting of 

 the Oregon State Horticidtural Society, and printed in this report 

 in response to freqtient demands for Information on peach growing 

 in the Willamette Valley. 



I was requested by Mr. Atwell to teil the members of this society 

 and people present at this annual meeting what I know about raising 

 peaches in the Willamette Valley, the diseases of the peach in this sec- 

 tion, their treatment, pruning and planting, mode of cultivation, varieties 

 successfully grown and probable profit per acre. 



I will first take up the diseases of the peach in the Willamette Valley. 

 The curl leaf is one of the most dangerous and destructive diseases, 

 in my judgment, known to the tree of this most delicious fruit. I con- 

 tend that when once a tree is fully inoculated with this disease it never 

 recovers fully from the attack. It may live for awhile, grow fairly 

 well, and raise fruit, but in the end it will succumb to the eflfect of 

 this deadly disease. I can teil by looking at a tree whether it has 

 ever been affected with this destructive disease, I think, just as certain 

 as a physician can teil whether a patient has consumption or tubercu- 

 losis germs in his System. The tree, as I have said, may partially 

 recover from being affected with this disease but the leaves will never 

 be large and symmetrical with a very dark green color and smooth 

 and slick like they had been highly varnished; on the other hand, they will 

 be only about two-thirds size, irregulär, dull green color, and imeven. 

 Now it is very easy to control this disease, as in my orchard I have 

 complete control of it and this is why I have had success in raising 

 peaches in the Willamette Valley. To control curl leaf I spray with a 

 strong lime and sulphur Solution from the first of December tili the 

 first of February, then following from the first of February tili the 

 fifth of March with a Solution of four pounds of sulphate of copper 

 and four pounds of lime to 45 gallons of water, giving the trees a thor- 

 ough spraying with this and you would be astonished at the effect it will 

 have on their growth through the summer. 



There is another disease the growing peach is subject to, called 

 the brov/n rot; a very destructive disease, attacking som.e of the peaches 

 when only half grown and others when just ripening. Two or three 

 peaches affected with this disease packed in a box of healthy ones will 

 inoculate them all with this disease and ruin the whole box within 

 24 to 36 hours. Thorough spraying will control this dread disease. 

 Any diseased or dried, mummified peaches left hanging on the trees 

 should be immediately destroyed as the diseased spores dry and the 

 wind spread them through the orchard. Some years ago I was troubled 

 greatly with this disease, but now I seldom ever find a peach affected 

 with it. 



The California peach blight is also another disease that attacks 

 the peach. It attacks the newly grown wood early in the fall or winter. 

 It kills the leaf buds and turns the twig black, giving it a sooty appear- 

 ance. I was also troubled with this disease in my peach orchard, but 

 since I have adopted a thorough System of spraying it has disappeared 

 altogether. I will add that the agricultural College is experimenting 



