CHAPTER X 
PEACH DISEASES 
THE peach, although fairly well acclimated in the United 
States, is by no means exempt from fungous, bacterial and 
other troubles. It is a matter of common knowledge that the 
peach tree is short-lived. The relatively premature disappear- 
ance of these trees is brought to pass by various factors, among 
which diseases and injuries assume a prominent position. 
Many of the best-known diseases, such as brown-rot and 
leaf-curl, are relatively easy to control; otherwise the life of 
a peach tree would be even shorter. But in too many cases 
carelessness has allowed these two diseases to go unimpeded. 
It is admitted, however, that in the warmer peach-growing 
states the brown-rot fungus has a decided advantage and the 
grower not infrequently is almost helpless, and certainly is 
handicapped. Leaf-curl is most troublesome farther north, 
particularly in localities where the springs are moist and cool. 
But experience has shown that in most years the proper ap- 
plication of recommended control-measures will reduce this 
disease to a profitable minimum. The control of brown-rot 
and leaf-curl is discussed on pages 275 and 282, respectively. 
The extreme sensitiveness of peach-foliage to spray-injury 
makes it imperative that care be taken in the selection and 
application of sprays. 
The less important peach diseases are represented by scab, 
die-back, black-spot and Coryneum-blight. These are fairly 
well understood and are amenable to control in most cases. 
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