265 

 PEACHES AND PLUMS.,,, ,, 



These importaDt stone fruits may be considered together 

 since tliey are mostly subject to the samfe disesses. Peach 

 yellows so destructive to orchards iu many 'other regions 

 "does not occur here; nor has the closely 'related peach 

 rosette been reported from this state -though it occurs 

 abundantly in middle Georgia and may be' Expected here at 

 anytime. Fortunately it has not proved as serious a disease 

 as was feared a few years ago. 



Peach and Plum Eot.— This is easily the worst disease 

 of stone fruits. Its appearance on the half grown and 

 ripening fruit is well known but the fungus causing it 

 {MonUia frncfMjoiia) also attacks the blossoms and very 

 young fruits causing them to blast and fall. At other times 

 it attacks the rapidly growing young wood and causes a des- 

 tructive twig blight. It lives over winter in such diseased 

 wood and also in the dried or mummied fruits so often seen 

 hanging »(m the tree in the spring. 



JSome varieties are more sabject to the 'rot than others 

 but none a are exempt. Its growth is largely influenced by 

 the weather, being greatly aggravated by hot damp or 

 showery days, and iu seasons where such weather is frequent, 

 total loss of crops sometimes occurs. As' the fruit ap- 

 proaches ripeness the trees should be examined frequently 

 and any rotting specimens should be removed. This is 

 important as the disease spreads very rapidly from the 

 rotting to the sound fruit. Thinning theyoiing fruit so that 

 they hang separately on the limbs is of great use in pre- 

 venting the spread of the rot as it allows them to dry more 

 quickly. This practice adds so much to tli'e size, quality 

 and market value of the fruit that it shohM certainly be 

 practiced by all. Another important precaution is to remove 

 all mummied fruits from the orchard before blooming time. 

 Fruit rots worse on rich laud or where An excessively 

 luxuriant growth has been caused by heavy' applications of 

 nitrogenous manures. Such lands and fertilisers should be 

 avoided for stone fruits. They thrive best on high well 



