DISEASED PEACH TREE. 



319 



A. The general answer to this question 

 will be, much rain in the heat of summer. 

 I believe this, as much as I believe the 

 bliglit in the pear tree is occasioned by the 

 atmosphere. For the first century after the 

 pear tree was common in the United States, 

 we had no blight ; yet we then had similar 

 weather, to what we have had since the 

 blight made its appearance. It is of late 

 years, only, that the rot has been so de- 

 structive among our grapes. For years, the 

 blight has given us but little trouble, and 

 the yellows in the peach trees has disap- 

 peared. One thing is certain, if we had 

 little or no rain, after the grapes are fairly 

 forward, we should see but liitle of the rot. 

 Certain it is, it is continued rains, followed 



by a hot sun, that causes us to look out for 

 the appearance of the rot. If an insect be 

 the cause, may not rain and a hot sun bring 

 them to life ? 



I will name a circumstance at the vintage 

 of 1846, at my vineyard, under the charge 

 of Mr. MvERS, a skilful vinedresser, which 

 he pointed out to me. He expected to make 

 2000 gallons of wine : the rot came, and 

 he made 35 gallons only. He noticed no 

 worms in his grapes or about them. As 

 soon as the vmst was deposited in the tub, 

 he saw a white scum over it. He took it 

 off, and in quantity it was more than one 

 quart. He found it to consist of white 

 worms, so small as scarcely to be discerned 

 by the naked eye. N. Longworth. 



EXPERIMENT ON A DISEASED PEACH TREE. 



BY T. A. S., SYRACUSE, N. Y. 



In the fall of 1844, Judge G. L. of this vil- 

 lage procured a few peach trees from New- 

 Jersey, which were planted in his garden 

 the spring following. During the seasons 

 of 1845, '46 they grew well, and all ap- 

 peared equally healthy. Last spring they 

 came finely into bloom and leaf; but one 

 of the number, soon after the fruit had set, 

 manifested derangement in some of its vital 

 functions ; the leaves becoming yellow and 

 drooping — presenting an appearance more 

 indicative of the autumnal than the vernal 

 season. The change was somewhat sud- 

 den ; and the malady, whatever it was, ap- 

 peared to be making rapid strides. Nurse- 

 rymen, amateurs and others, were called in 

 to examine the tree, some of whom pro- 

 nounced it to be affected with the " yel- 

 lows," and recommended its exterpation 

 lest the other trees might imbibe the con- 

 tagion. 



At this stage, the tree was passed over to 

 my hands for " experiment." The report 

 of M. Brongniart on the action of the salts 



of 2Vo?z on vegetation, (contained in your 

 journal for April last,) suggested the use of 

 that metal in some form. As the readiest 

 means, resort was had to the oxide ; a small 

 furnace near by furnishing this material in 

 abundance from the filings of the finishing 

 room, which having been thrown out and 

 exposed to the action of the atmosphere, had 

 become a mass of red rust. 



The earth was removed from the tree 

 (about the trunk) down to the main roots, 

 over a circle about a foot in diameter, and 

 a peck measure or more of this oxidized 

 mass placed around the tree and immedi- 

 ately in contact with the roots thus exposed. 

 A pail of water was then poured over the 

 material, and the earth replaced. 



About the 4th or 5th day after the ap- 

 plication, a perceptible change had taken 

 place along the main arteries of the leaves, 

 which had assumed a deep, healthful green, 

 the partial and distinct change giving to the 

 foliage a singularly variegated appearance. 

 I From this period the alteration was marked 



