CHAPTER X 

 PEACH DISEASES 



THE peach, although fairly well acclimated in the United 

 States, is by no means exempt from fungous, bacterial and 

 other troubles. It is a matter of common knowledge that the 

 peach tree is short-lived. The relatively premature disappear- 

 ance of these trees is brought to pass by various factors, among 

 which diseases and injuries assume a prominent position. 



Many of the best-known diseases, such as brown-rot and 

 leaf-curl, are relatively easy to control ; otherwise the life of 

 a peach tree would be even shorter. But in too many cases 

 carelessness has allowed these two diseases to go unimpeded. 

 It is admitted, however, that in the warmer peach-growing 

 states the brown-rot fungus has a decided advantage and the 

 grower not infrequently is almost helpless, and certainly is 

 handicapped. Leaf -curl is most troublesome farther north, 

 particularly in localities where the springs are moist and cool. 

 But experience has shown that in most years the proper ap- 

 plication of recommended control-measures will reduce this 

 disease to a profitable minimum. The control of brown-rot 

 and leaf-curl is discussed on pages 275 and 282, respectively. 

 The extreme sensitiveness of peach-foliage to spray-injury 

 makes it imperative that care be taken in the selection and 

 application of sprays. 



The less important peach diseases are represented by scab, 

 die-back, black-spot and Coryneum-blight. These are fairly 

 well understood and are amenable to control in most cases. 



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