482 INSECTS AFFECTING VEGETATION 



flesh of the fruit becomes hard under these spots and the skin takes 

 on a brown or dead color. The appearance upon the twig is very 

 much the same, it being very conspicuous as white blotches along the 

 twigs; the underlying bark becoming dry and brown. Where the at- 

 tack is very severe the leaves fall, the bark becomes shriveled, and 

 the young tips often assume a curved position. It only appears on 

 the current year's growth, it being able to establish itself upon the 

 more tender growing parts only. On the leaves, it generally appears 

 upon the under surface, most prominently along the midrib as white, 

 irregular blotches. The attack is not confined to the under surface of 

 the leaf, but is found there more often, probably because strong sun- 

 light is its worst enemy. The leaves become crimpled and curled, the 

 younger ones near the tip often falling during severe attacks. The 

 tissues of the leaf are deadened, and it folds more or less along the 

 midrib, the upper surface folding upon itself. 



Attacks of this fungus often injure the fruit, in some cases almost 

 ruining the crop for market. The young twigs are checked in their 

 growth, and sometimes killed outright, while the foliage is greatly 

 reduced. If no injury to the crop is experienced during the season of 

 attack it is no doubt true that the future crops and good health of the 

 tree are at stake. Fruit buds for the coming year cannot be developed 

 on half-dead twigs poorly nourished by a scant supply of foliage. 

 Neither is the tree in shape to withstand other troubles to which the 

 unhealthy peach tree falls heir. (Col. E. S. B. 107.) 



Peach Rosette. It commonly appears in the spring and may at- 

 tack either a single branch or the entire tree. The leaves come out in 

 clusters from nearly all the buds on the twigs and form compact 

 whorls, consisting sometimes of several dozen, and which frequently 

 measure from two to four inches in length. Not uncommonly these 

 clusters of leaves come out in great numbers from the sides of the 

 trunk or the main branches of the tree, places where, under normal 

 condition, buds would never develop. At the base of the clusters 

 there are generally a few large leaves which are brittle and the edges 

 somewhat rolled, while at the tips the leaves are very small and ten- 

 der. Usually the leaves fall in mid-summer or early autumn, leaving 

 the trees nude. This peculiar whorled arrangement of the leaves 

 makes the disease very easily recognized, and one who has seen an 

 illustration of Rosette cannot fail to recognize the disease should he 

 meet with it in his orchard. 



Yellows and Rosette are in some respects very similar, and at 

 the first appearance of the disease Rosette was probably considered 

 as a variety of Yellows peculiar to the South, but they were later 

 established as distinct and separate diseases ; the chief differences be- 

 tween Yellows and Rosette being the generally much less tufted or 

 rosetted condition of the leaves, the much more lingering nature of 

 the Yellows, which usually lasts two or three or even four seasons. 

 (Mo. State Fruit E. S. B. 11). 



Peach Yellows. One of the most prominent symptoms of yel- 

 lows is the premature ripening of the fruit. Affected trees may ripen 

 all or only a portion of their fruit from a few days to several weeks 



