Report on Peaches and Other Deciduous Fruits 
W. L. Floyd. 
While the growing of peaches for 
Northern markets is somewhat uncer¬ 
tain, because of variable weather con¬ 
ditions which prevail at blossoming 
time and immediately following, and 
the competition of the growers nearer 
the markets, yet, as Florida is rapidly 
increasing in population in the cities as 
well as in the rural districts, the oppor¬ 
tunities for disposing of fruit within the 
State are becoming greater. This 
should stimulate the more general 
planting of small orchards. 
The early varieties are generally 
quicker to respond to warm weather 
conditions in winter than the later 
ripening ones, and are consequently 
more likely to get their fruit killed by 
the cold snaps of February and March. 
In planting for within the State mar¬ 
kets more attention can and should be 
given to later and safer varieties. Most 
of us this year have lost all our crop 
of Jewels and Waldos, but not all the 
later kinds. 
Farmers’ Bulletin No. 440, U. S. De¬ 
partment of Agriculture, “Spraying 
Peaches for the Control of Brown-rot, 
Scab and Curculio,” recently issued, 
contains valuable information for the 
peach grower. The authors say: “Al¬ 
though many insects and parasitic 
fungi occur on the peach, the brown 
rot (Sclerotina fructigena) and scab or 
black spot (Cladosporium carpophi- 
lum) are responsible for practically all 
the damage to the fruit crop, and the 
insect injury is limited almost entirely 
to the attack of the plum curculio 
(Conotrachelus nenuphar.) The use of 
lime-sulphur wash, to which has been 
added arsenate of lead, is the remedy 
recommended. The tabulated results 
of its use show decided benefit. 
Prof. Fawcett, of the Florida Experi¬ 
ment Station, has obtained results by 
cross inoculations and laboratory inves¬ 
tigations, which indicate that gummo- 
sis of the peach and that of the orange 
are caused by the same fungus. 
The working of the peach on certain 
native plum stocks in order to secure 
immunity from root knot has passed 
beyond the experimental stage; to 
those who contemplate planting peach¬ 
es on old land, especially land suspected 
of containing root knot, we advise 
planting trees on the plum stock. Sev¬ 
eral nurserymen in the State are offer¬ 
ing them for sale. 
A nursery in a near-by State is offer¬ 
ing a peach which they call the “Early 
Wonder.” They claim that it will do 
well as far south as Northern Florida; 
that it is of good size, flavor and color, 
and ripens in May. One of our Florida 
