24 
growing peach stock throughout the Infected States, (2) the Inspection of 
orchards throughout the commercial peach belt, (8) a survey beyond The limits 
of known distribution of the disease for the purpose of ]< >«-.-it inir any previously 
undiscovered outlying Infections, and <-ii the eradication, ti.n ogfa Stat 
tion, of diseased trees throughout the infected area. 
The environs of 113 nurseries In 12 infected States were inspected in the Held 
season of 1985, and -♦*> were found exposed to the phony peach disease, in 
L936 the environs of 228 nurseries In 9 infected States have been Inspected thus 
far (to the close of June), and 54 nurseries have been found exposed to infec- 
tion. Eradication of the diseased trees was effected at the time of Inspection 
or the trees were tagged for destruction by eradication crows. Other activities 
in the fiscal year L986 covered the Inspection of approximately 19 peach 
trees in nearly 66,000 orchards in 14 States. Of these trees over 51,000 wore 
found Infected and are being destroyed under State authority. 
In the summer of 1935 the most intensive survey of recent yours was carried 
on in peach growing districts of Delaware, New .Jersey, Maryland. Virginia, 
West Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana, with the result that phony peach d 
was found in orchards in two counties in Maryland and in five counties in Ken- 
tucky. Similar intensive work in States known to he lightly infected resulted 
in finding the disease in new areas in such States. This survey was expanded 
in L936, and it is expected that the corps of 153 trained Federal and State 
inspectors will survey all States north of the known infected areas in which 
there i^ commercial peach production. The work in Iowa. Nebraska, ami Kan- 
sas was accomplished by a combined survey for the peach mosaic and phony 
peach diseases. No phony trees were found. 
One of the problems in the campaign the Department has conducted against 
the phony peach disease has been the presence of abandoned, escaped, and 
ling peach trees, which grow in enormous numbers throughout the South and 
which serve as reservoirs of reinfection. The removal of such worthless trees, 
a work outside the scope of regular Federal activities and available funds, is 
now being accomplished under an allotment from the Emergency Relief Appro- 
priation Act of 1935, and as a supplement to inspection is proving to be an 
important factor in freeing the peach-producing States of this destructive 
disease. From the beginning of this project in August 1935 to the close of June 
1936 over 38 million worthless peach trees on nearly 76,000 properties were 
destroyed in 11 States. The work provided employment throughout the 
for approximately 2,000 men. 
CONTROL OF PEACH MOSAIC DISEASE 
Poach mosaic, a virus disease of peach trees, was first observed in Texas in 
1931. In 1934 ii was reported to he present in the commercial peach belt of 
i County, Colo., when' it had apparently been present for several years. 
The agency of natural spread of this disease is unknown, it is Infectious 
and may ho transmitted bj patch-bark grafting from either twig or root bark. 
Indications are thai the incubation period is loss than m months. The Dat- 
ura] spread is generally in colony formation. The appalling rapidity of spread 
i- evidenced by the records of one orchard of over 1,200 trees in Mesa County, 
Colo., which showed 2 Infected trees in 1929, approximately 10 in 1931, 100 
in 1!»:;l'. l'im> in 1933, and 500 in 1934, and all except 13 were infected in 1935. 
In the spring of l!»:;:» the State of Colorado undertook an intensive eradica- 
tion campaign which was supplemented in August o\' thai yeat by a Federal 
relief work project 
The project for control of the peach mosaic disease (eradication and sun 
which was carried on under an allotment from the Emergency Relief Appi 
tion An ..I 1935, consisted of intensive Inspection of ;iii peach trees in Mesa 
and Delta Counties, Colo., to Locate and remove all trees infected with this 
verj destructive disease; survej for the disease in ail other counties in «'oi»v- 
rado where peach trees were grown; surveys in Iowa, Kansas, and Nel 
I,, determine the possible occurrence of peach mosaic; ami an extensive survey 
in Texas to determine the prevalence and extent of the disease in that state. 
These activities were carried on in cooperation with the respective States. 
During the year Dearly :;.ih><>.<)<io peach trees were Inspected and 13,788 mosaic- 
dises in Colorado and Texas and 17,456 abandoned trees in Colorado 
wen- removed and destroyed under state authority. 
