162 FRUIT-GROWING 



Leaf curl is a fungous disease that causes 

 the leaves to curl up in an unsightly fashion. 

 If they only became unsightly we might be able 

 to overlook their condition and hope that they, 

 like a freckle-faced boy, might outgrow it. 

 Unfortunately they soon turn yellow and fall 

 off, sometimes leaving the tree perfectly bare. 

 Ultimately a new crop of leaves is put out, but 

 in the meantime the young peaches have been 

 crying for their food and there have been no 

 leaves to elaborate it for them. The result is 

 usually a much reduced crop — one of those an- 

 noying circumstances that the peach-grower 

 prefers to avoid if possible. Fortunately this 

 disease is easily prevented by a thorough win- 

 ter spray applied as late as possible in the dor- 

 mant season — the same one that is put on for 

 the scale insects will also prevent the develop- 

 ment of the leaf curl. 



Scab and brown rot are two diseases of the 

 fruit that can readily be prevented although 

 there are sometimes seasons when the brown 

 rot seems to persist in spite of everything that 

 can be done. Scab produces the small round 

 black spots that one finds on nearly all un- 

 sprayed peaches. It is surprising how much 

 fruit we see in the city markets that has this 

 blemish. A few growers still insist that it is a 

 minor trouble and some even think it is inevit- 

 able. I remember that I once spoke to a grower 



