-.1*' 



GUinJING OF PEACH TREES 



Persons with peach trees are often disturbed by the formation of 

 masses of gum on the trunks or branches. This gurming is the natural means 

 of the peach tree in protecting itself. ' YiTherever there is a break in the 

 bark, the sap oozes out, thickens, and forms a guiimy mass. It may or may 

 not be a sign of serious trouble depending on the cause of the injury. 



If Johnny took a few shots at that peach tree v;ith his air rifle 

 or cut his initials in the bark with his new jackknife, there is no cause 

 for v/orry. The injury will heal over in time and the gum will disappear. 



On the other hand, there are some insects which e«it into the bark 

 and cause trouble. The most common of these is the peach tree borer. The 

 grub of this insect eats the inner bark, or carnbiuia, and young sapwood. It 

 usually v/orks near the ground line or just below it, although occasionally 

 it is found v/ell up the trunk or even at the base of the main branches, 

 Masses of gum at or near the ground level are a pretty good sign that peach 

 tree borers are present. They are a serious pest and should be dug out with 

 a knife or treated with paradichlorobenzene. Directions for the use of this 

 material will be sent on request. 



Occasionally, when peach trees become very weak from improper care, 

 shot-hole borers v.'ork in the tree. These little beetles make hundreds of 

 little holes in the bark so that the tree looks as if someone had peppered 

 it with a shotgun. The real remedy is to keep the trees growing vigorously, 

 since shothole borers seldom attack vigorous trees. Strong stimulation of 

 infested trees by heavy fertilization, pruning and cultivation may help the 

 tree to outgrow the trouble but badly infested trees usually die. 



Although there are certain diseases which cause slight gum forma- 

 tion on small branches and twigs of peach trees in this state, diseases 

 which cause serious guriiming on the truiiks and main branches are not present. 

 Therefore, any serious gum formation is probably not due to disease. 



Y/here the bark splits as a result of winter injury, where a branch 

 is broken off, or v;here the bark is chewed by rodents, gum formation will 

 take place. The remedy is to make the tree outgrow the injury if possible* 



— J. S. Bailey 



SPRIITG COIITROL O F PEAC H TREE BORERS 



Can peach tree borers be controlled in the spring? This question 

 is often asked by those who failed to apply control measures at the proper 

 time in the fall. 



Because of low soil temperature in the spring, paradichlorobenzene, 

 or PDB, has given universally poor results at that time of year and is, there. 

 fore, not recomi.iended. 



Then v/hat about ethylene dichloride emulsion? Dr, Oliver I. Snapp 

 of Georgia says, "Ethylene dichloride emulsion is effective at ■ low soii 



