THE PEACH ROT* AND CURL LEAF. 



^x^OR a long time it was supposed 

 =C\ that the rot of cherries, plums 

 and peaches was entirely clima- 

 tic, being directly the result of 

 continued wet weather. ' Now it has 

 been clearly proved that this evil is 

 caused by a fungus called Monilia fruc- 

 tigena, which grows readily in hot moist 

 weather, and very slowly in dry weather. 

 In California this rot of the cherry and 

 peach is little known, because the climate 

 is so dry it cannot grow ; and as a result, 

 their cherries are shipped to eastern 

 markets in good condition — varieties 

 too which, with us, often rot on the 



chief consideration, for the present, is 

 that the rot fungus is always found in 

 the decaying fruits. We may rightly, 

 then, turn attention to the fungus in 

 question. Fig. 1591 will show some- 

 thing of the character of this fungus. 

 At 1 are shown two rotted and dried up 

 " mummy " peaches which were gath- 

 ered in midwinter. Upon wetting and 

 placing these in a moist chamber for 

 twenty-four hours, it was found that the 

 fungus still lived in the mummies. 

 Some of the forms of threads are shown 

 at 2 a, b, c. At the same time a great 

 abundance of ash-colored spores was 



Fig. 1591.— 



■ 



Monilia fructigena in mummy peaches. At 1, midwinter mummies are shown, natural 

 size. -2 a, a, b threads and resting cells or gemma' (?) c from the preceding, both magnified 

 about 760 diameters. 



trees, or will scarcely keep over night. 



Bulletin 92, of Ohio Experimental 

 Station gives some interesting informa- 

 tion concerning this rot, as follows ; 



This rot fungus, as indeed have most 

 fungi, has its growth favored by warm, 

 or hot weather, and abundant moisture. 

 If this warmth and moisture come 

 together near ripening time we may 

 expect serious loss of fruit. But the 



produced upon the outside of the rotten 

 peaches. Similar results may be had if 

 one places a freshly rotted peach under 

 a tumbler or dish where it will be kept 

 moist. These ash-colored, powdery 

 masses of spores are easily scattered by 

 the wind and rain and will cause mis- 

 chief where they find a suitable place. 

 Favorable places are numerous ; such 

 will be found in a dense cluster of fruit 



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