14 N. J. Agricultural Experiment Stations Bulletin 356 



Wiry, Branched Shoots 



The development of sickly, wiry and finely branched shoots on the 

 trunk and branches is a symptom of yellows regarded in identifying 

 the disease as of equal importance with the premature fruit. These 

 shoots have very narrow leaves and frequently continue to grow late 

 in the season after the rest of the tree has stopped. Sometimes pre- 

 maturing of the fruit occurs alone and for several seasons before the 

 appearance of the sickly, wiry shoots. In other cases, the abnormal 

 shoots may appear on young trees before fruiting age and also on 

 bearing trees even before prematuring is apparent. These character- 

 istic shoots branch profusely and become so finely divided that they 

 may often be detected on the trees in winter. 



Yellow Appearance of Foliage 



Another symptom attributed to yellows is the yellowish green ap- 

 pearance of the foliage on affected trees. This symptom may be very 

 misleading, as many other factors may cause such an appearance. 

 It is also true that diseased trees may have a rich green color, es- 

 pecially if given a good supply of nitrogen. It was quite commonly 

 believed that yellows trees were short-lived and would die within a 

 few years after the appearance of prominent symptoms. While it is 

 true that these trees will be weakened and may die within a few years 

 after the appearance of the disease, it is also true that many diseased 

 trees may remain alive and persist as long as many normal trees un- 

 der usual conditions of growth. 



Symptoms of Advanced Stages of Little Peach 



This disease differs from yellows in that instead of prematuring, 

 the fruit remains small and ripens from a few days to ten days later 

 than normal fruit of the same variety. The diseased fruits are often 

 flattened and somewhat rectangular in form, instead of being well 

 rounded (fig. 6). Combined with the late ripening is the charac- 

 teristic drooping of the foliage toward the branches and trunk, and 

 the curling and rolling of the leaves. The color of the foliage also 

 becomes a lighter and usually a mottled yellow green. Many of the 

 leaves also lose their flexibility to a considerable degree. If the tree 

 is vigorous and growing rapidly, the leaves at the tips of the branches 

 may appear normal. 



