THE PEACH. 5^*7 



proved that if a small quantity, say half a peck of air-slaked 

 lime, is heaped around the trunk of each tree at the end of May 

 and suffered to remain till October, the peach-borer will not at- 

 tack it. It has been tried most successfully in large orchards, 

 where the protected trees have long remained sound, while 

 those unprotected have been speedily destroyed by the borer. 

 The remedy undoubtedly lies chiefly in covering the most vul- 

 nerable portion of the tree from the attack of the insect ; and 

 therefore persons have been more or less successful with ashes, 

 charcoal, clay, mortar, and other protectives. But we recom- 

 mend for this purpose air-slaked lime or ashes,* because these 

 more fully answer the purpose as protectives, and when spread 

 over the surface, as they should be every autumn, they form the 

 best fertilizers for the peach tree. 



This is the easiest and the most successful mode, and it 

 should not be neglected a single season. Many careful and 

 rigid cultivators prefer a regular examination of the trees every 

 spring and autumn. On removing the earth, for a few inches, 

 the appearance of gum or castings quickly indicates where the 

 borer has made his lodging. A few moments with the knife 

 will then eradicate the insect for the season. This is a very 

 effectual mode, but not, on the whole, so simple or so good as 

 the other, because the tree is always left exposed to attack, and 

 to consequent injury, before the insect is dislodged. 



THE YELLOWS. This most serious malady seems to belong 

 exclusively to this country, and to attack only the peach tree. 

 Although it has been the greatest enemy of the peach planter 

 for the last thirty years rendering the life of the tree uncer- 

 tain, and frequently spreading over and destroying the orchards 

 of whole districts still little is known of its nature, and nothing 

 with certainty of its cause. Many slight observers have con- 

 founded it with the effects of the peach-borer, but all persons 

 who have carefully examined it, know that the two are totally 

 distinct. Trees may frequently be attacked by both the yel- 

 lows and the borer, but hundreds die of the yellows when the 

 most minute inspection of the roots and branches can discover 

 no insect or visible cause. Still we believe proper cultivation 

 will entirely rid our gardens and orchards of this malady ; an/ 

 this belief is in part borne out by experiments under our own 

 inspection. In order to combat it successfully, it is necessary 

 that the symptoms should be clearly understood. 



Symptoms. The Yellows appears to be a corstitutional dis- 

 ease, no external cause having yet been assigned for it. Its in- 

 fallible symptoms are the following : 



1. The production upon the branches of very slender, wiry 

 shoots, a few inches long, and bearing starved, diminutive leaves. 



* Bleached ashes. 



