54 PEACH LEAF CURL: ITS NATURE AND TREATMENT. 



the writer tluit their work was based hirgely upon that of Prof. E. S. 

 Goff on Fusicladiura.^ 



The spray work Avas begun in July, before the trees leafed out, the 

 main object being to control apple scab and the shot-hole fungus on 

 the apricot. The sprayed apricot trees belonged to Mr. Trescowthick, 

 and were treated with Bordeaux mixture. In the block was one 

 peach tree, which was spraj^ed when the apricots were treated. This 

 tree had suffered severeh^ from curl, so much so, in fact, that it had 

 not borne for four or five A^ears, but after spraying it yielded eight 

 cases of fruit of 50 pounds each, or 400 pounds, the curl being almost 

 entireh^ prevented. Mr. Smith writes, respecting this work, that 

 when apph^ng Bordeaux mixture from Juh^ to October, 1891, for the 

 various diseases with which they were coping he had not the slightest 

 idea that this or any of the fungicides would have any effect whatever 

 on curl leaf, and the members of the conmiittee were the more sur- 

 prised to see its marvelous effects in January and February. "It was 

 the mos-t conclusive of all our tests," it was stated.^ 



The work was continued the following season, and some contrasts 

 obtained on the place of Messrs. Sidnej' Smith & Son, of Yalumba, are 

 of interest in this connection. In an article published at that time it 

 is stated that the effects of spraying with Bordeaux mixture upon both 

 peaches and apricots were ver}^ noticeable. On one side of the fence 

 was seen a healthy set of trees, well clothed with fruit and dark green 

 foliage, and witii no curled leaves, while on the other side, where spray- 

 ing had not been done, was a block of apricots, among which were a 

 few peach trees very badly attacked by leaf curl. At this time the 

 orchard of Mr, A. B. Robin, of Nuriootpa, secretary of the conmiittee 

 for experiments, was inspected by Mr. Molineaux, general secretary 

 of the South Australia Agricultural Bureau, and by several prominent 

 horticulturists, and was found to have a splendid crop of fruit, nearly all 

 the apricot and peach trees having been sprayed. One peach tree had 

 been sprayed on only one side with the Bordeaux mixture, and on this 

 side the foliage was clean and healthy, while on the unsprayed side it 

 was curled. "Here again," says the reporter of this examination, 

 "was absolutelj^ conclusive evidence of the preventive effect of spray- 

 ing for curl leaf." 



In the United States, in 1892, the use of both the sulphur and coppei- 

 sprays on dormant trees was much more common. The control of 

 curl was a new discovery to several growers who had not heard of 

 the published experiments. Mr. George Woolse}^ of lone, Cal., had 

 been considerably troubled by a shot-hole fungus affecting peach twigs — 

 a common trouble in the northern portion of the State. A bundle of 

 the affected twigs was sent to Professor Woodworth, of Berkeley, who 



^Letter dated An^ayton, South Australia, Feb. 11, 1895. 

 '^Letter dated Aiigaston, South Australia, Apr. 6, 1895. 



