12 MASS. EXPERLAIENT STATION BULLETIN 399 



fruits. Its presence in the fruit is very difficult to detect without cutting the 

 fruity open. Infested shoots are detected readily, because the terminal leaves 

 and often the tips of the shoots wilt and die. In a severe infestation, the tips 

 of infested shoots are covered with a gummy exudate. 



The control of oriental fruit moth is aided by burying all infested or dropped 

 fruit at least six inches below ground. Since the larvae pupate in cracks or crev- 

 ices, this pest has been brought into some orchards by the introduction of old, 

 infested containers. Therefore, it is important to destroy all old containers, 

 especially any which have been used for infested fruit. As the larvae seem, to 

 prefer succulent, rapidly growing shoots, the stimulation of excessive growth by 

 heavy pruning and fertilization should be avoided where this pest is present. 

 Up to the present time, the best control has been furnished by egg and larval 

 parasites of the oriental fruit moth. These have been bred and liberated by the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural Experiment Station, the experiment stations of 

 several other near-by states, and by the Federal Government. In the last few 

 years, sulfur-o'l-talc dusts or fixed- nicotine sprays have shown promise. A 

 schedule of four applications at 5-day intervals, beginning three weeks before the 

 harvest time of each variety is recommended. 



The European Red Mite is not so common on peaches as on apples, but it 

 may be a serious pest in some years. It is a tiny, red mite which sucks the 

 juice from the leaves, giving them a bronzed, yellowish, unhealthy appearance. 

 The best time to look for the European red mite is in the winter or early spring 

 before growth starts. If they are present, the tiny red eggs will be found around 

 the base of small twigs and spurlike growths. The eggs can be killed by applying 

 an oil spray early in the spring. See Spra>" Program. 



Diseases 



The following are the most common diseases of the peach: 



Peach Leaf Curl is a fungus disease which curls and distorts the young leaves 

 early in the spring. It is easily- controlled by spraying, but if spraying is omitted, 

 it may become serious in both young and bearing orchards during seasons when 

 long cold periods occur after growth has started. Spraying with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture or lime sulfur late in the fall or early spring will control it. See Spray Pro- 

 gram. 



Brown Rot is a serious fungus disease of the peach in Massachusetts. The 

 principal source of infection is the mummied fruits on the ground and clinging 

 to the trees. The fungus may enter through the flowers in the spring causing 

 blossom blight. Following this, it is likelj' to advance into the fruit spurs and 

 twigs, causing cankers which sometimes occur even on large branches. From 

 these cankers and from the overwintered mummies, the spores spread to the 

 fruit, but can enter the fruit only through breaks in the skin, chiefly those made 

 by the curculio and the scab fungus. As brown rot develops, the peaches be- 

 come brown and mushy, and most of them drop from the tree. In the fall these 

 rotton fruits dry up and mummify. The brown rot fungus winters over in these 

 mummied fruits. The collection and destruction of mummies in the fall or early 

 spring aids in the control of this disease. 



