CHAPTER XI. 



PEACH VARIETIES AND NURSERY STOCK IN RELATION TO CURL. 

 COaiPARISOX OF PEACH VARIETIES. 



It is a well-known fact that certain peach varieties are less suscep 

 tible to curl than others. When planting, many growers strive to 

 select varieties which are known to be comparatively resistant. This 

 has led nurserymen to select and grow as hardy varieties as possible, 

 and such selection has resulted in cultivated varieties becomino- to 

 some extent more hardy than the majority of seedlings. Of 97 peach 

 growers who have stated whether, in their opinion, seedling or budded 

 trees are most affected by curl, 50 say that seedlings are most affected, 

 19 think budded trees are affected most, and 28 growers have observed 

 no difference between budded and seedling trees in this respect. 



In spite of the fact that some varieties of budded peaches are quite 

 hardy, many of the finest peaches grown are much subject to curl. 

 There are also varieties which are hardy in one locality and become 

 very subject to the disease when grown under different conditions. 

 There are, in fact, so many influences, such as season, soil, situation, 

 etc. . that it has been diflicult to decide, except in a few cases, whether 

 a variety may be fairly classed as hardy or susceptible. It is found 

 by wide inquiry that a peach which is considered hardy in one portion 

 of the country is not resistant to curl in another. The views of peach 

 growers vary so wideh^ respecting the hardiness of varieties that it has 

 been thought best to give the results as obtained, rather than strive to 

 draw from them anv final conclusions. Of a large number of g-rowers 

 who have been asked whether earlv or late-blooming varieties are 



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most affected, 70 have expressed their views. A majority, or 42 of 

 these growers, think there is no difference between early and late 

 blooming varieties, 23 believe early blooming varieties most subject 

 to the disease, and only 5 believe the late bloomers most affected. It 

 would seem that the late blooming varieties may be less liable to 

 injure", owing to the increased warmth when they push in the spring, 

 but the difference is certainly not well marked. Respecting the hardi- 

 ness of early or late maturing \arieties. there appears to be little dif- 

 ference from the replies to the circular letter. Among 79 peach 

 growers who have expressed their views, 22 think early varieties most 

 subject to the disease, 16 believe the late varieties most subject to it, 

 and 41 think there is no difference. 

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