138 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



badly, even in a very weak solution. He was afraid to 

 spray peaches when in leaf. Cherries also suffered with 

 this brown rot. 



Mr. Hale further said that the matter was being studied 

 by the United States Department of Agriculture on his farm, 

 and that in the future we might hope to have more light 

 on this subject. The only thing to be done now was to 

 gather and burn the mummified fruit, and spray when the 

 trees were dormant ; then, when fruit was on, pick off the 

 rotting specimens daily. 



The question was asked if plowing under the mummified 

 fruit would kill the rot. This had not been fully deter- 

 mined, but was thought to kill most of the spores of the rot. 



Mr. Piatt had sprayed peaches in dormant condition, 

 but it helped to only partially prevent the rot. 



Some one asked what fertilizers were best to use on 

 peaches. 



Mr. Rogers answered that it depended upon the soil ; that 

 different soils need different treatment. He liked ashes, if he 

 could get good ones, and bone alternate, years. He used 20 

 pounds of ashes to a tree in a nine-year-old orchard, also 20 

 pounds of bone, and these trees bore seven to twelve half- 

 bushel baskets of fruit. He also put on nitrate of soda in 

 July, as bearing trees could not be fertilized too much. 



Mr. Sternberg said he had succeeded best with poor soil 

 to begin with, as too rich soil invited the yellows. He did 

 not believe in using too much nitrogen for peaches to begin 

 with, but would rather use bone and potash in small 

 quantities. This might not make as big trees, but he 

 thought it would make more hardy ones. 



Neither a loamy nor a gravelly soil was thought suitable 

 for peaches. 



Professor Gulley thought that the peach borer could 

 easily be kept in check. He said that in winter they were 

 often found in gum at the base of the trees. 



Tobacco was recommended by some as a remedy for the 

 borers. 



Mr. Rogers spoke of a new disease, or trouble, in his 

 section ; this was a hard kernel in the fruit of the Elberta 

 peach. No one else had seen this trouble. 



