3. Diseases. 



Peach diseases often limit the crop in Massachusetts, yet 

 by proper measures they may be controlled so that losses are 

 not serious. 



Brown rot is the most destructive, especially in years when 

 warm, humid weather persists just before and during the 

 harvesting period. When the disease is present in the orchard 

 it does a great deal of damage to the fruit after it is sent to 

 market. Sound fruit, but carrying spores of the disease and 

 exposed to w-arm, moist air, often rots to an alarming degree 

 while on the way to the consumer. 



Not only does the disease cause characteristic decay of the 

 ripening fruit, but it may destroy the bloom, small twigs and 

 even larger branches by causing cankers thereon. 



The disease carries over winter chiefly in dried fruits hang- 

 ing to the tree or fallen to the ground and known as "mum- 

 mies." It follows that these should be destroyed by plowing 

 under or in some other way, but the main reliance is on proper 

 spraying, which will be discussed later. 



Yellows occasionally causes great havoc by destroying the 

 trees. The first symptom is likely to be premature ripening 

 of the fruit on a part or all of the diseased tree. Often the 

 fruit shows reddish spots and reddish streaks through the 

 flesh. The same season or the next tufts of weak, yellowish 

 shoots appear through the tree, and in a very few years the 

 tree perishes. The disease is contagious, passing from one 

 tree to another commonly through budding in the nursery. 

 It follows that great care should be taken to plant stock free 

 from the disease, and any tree in the orchard showing possible 

 symptoms should be watched, and the moment it seems prob- 

 able that it is suffering from yellows it should be dug and 

 destroyed. A new tree may be planted at once in its place 

 if desired. Spraying is of no avail with this disease. 



Leaf curl sometimes causes extensive defoliation and con- 

 sequent weakening to the tree, but does not directly affect 

 the wood or fruit. The swollen, distorted leaves, often yel- 

 lowish or reddish in color, are very characteristic. Once seen 

 the disease is readily recognized. It is easily controlled by 



