70 



FUNGI AND FUNGICIDES 



Peach yellows now occurs over a large portion of 

 the States east of the Mississippi River. During recent 

 years it has destroyed thousands of trees in Michigan, 

 Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and New York. 



Symptoms. According to Dr. Smith, "the earli- 

 est unmistakable symptom of the yellows is the prema- 

 ture ripening of the fruit. Diseased trees ripen their 

 fruit, in whole or in part, from a few days to several 

 weeks in advance of the proper time. Often the peaches 

 on one or two limbs only will be diseased, all the rest 

 ripening in a normal manner. In such cases the prema- 

 ture peaches are full-grown, ripe, and high colored, 

 when those on the rest of the tree are green and but half 

 grown. These peaches, no matter what their natural 

 color, are more or less red and purple spotted on the 

 skin, and splashed and streaked within. Sometimes 

 the normally white or yellow flesh is very beautifully 

 mottled, or almost entirely crimson ; again there is 

 hardly a trace of the abnormal color. The flavor of 

 immature peaches varies considerably, but they are usu- 

 ally insipid, and sometimes bitter. 



"The next symptom, which generally appears the 

 same season, but is sometimes delayed until the next, is 

 the appearance of diseased, dwarfed growths upon the 

 trunk and limbs. These growths bear diminutive leaves, 

 which are pale green, yellowish, reddish or white. They 

 often show a marked tendency to repeated branching, 

 sometimes as many as four sets of branches being devel- 

 oped within a few months. These growths may arise 

 either from obscure buds on the trunk and main limbs, 

 or from the ordinary winter buds. They may appear at 

 any time during the season, from spring until late au- 

 tumn. Often the winter buds push in October or No- 

 vember, after the foliage has fallen, or even in August 

 and September, while it is still green and vigorous. 



" When attacked the tree is very often in a vigorous, 

 healthy looking condition, and sometimes during the 



