The Peach Blight.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 1474, 7 October 1885, Page 5 (Supplement)

The Peach Blight.

Mr H. H. Jackson, of Stonestead, says the Wairhrapa Standard, has informed us that ho doas not exactly agree with the theory of Professor Kirk, who states that the peach tree must be renewed by grafting on harder stocks, namely, plum. Mr Jackson is more inclined to favor (he views recently put forward m the Canterbury Times to the effect that the disease is a fungus which stings the bark, causing the gum to exude, and consequently bleeding the tree to death. Mr Jackson at the same time assures us that he has hcaid of no person yet who has been able to discover tho real cause ol the disease so as to be sufficiently conclusive m solving the difficulty. 'Our informant says that the matter has engaged the attention of Mr A. Matthews and himself for the last teu years, and they havo altogether failed m their attempts to elucidate the mystery ; he has remarked that the blight first appears m October, and then its ravages are all at once apparent. Mr Jackson at one time fancied that a small beetle with a bcrer, ; which pierced the tree and deposited a minute egg ia the cavity, com.mitted the depredations ; but as this insect also appeared on the apple trees and other fruit trees not so afflicted as the peach, and also as it did not appear sufficiently powerful by one-tenth to affect damage, he returned to his former opinion that the fungus must alone be charged with the cause of the disease. He quotes as an extraordinary fact that, upon the first adrentof the pest m the Wairarapa, the trees only affected were those bordering m the line of coach road. The blight then seemed to gradually spread to the outlying districts, where its ravages havebeen as keenly felt as m other parts. It is hoped that this year we may escape from the October visitation, as described by Mr Jackson, especially as most of our peach trees arc looking exceedingly vigorous and healthy at the present time. Mr Jackson informs us that he has successsully grappled with the apple blight m his orchards, and has effectually cured the same.