THE BLIGHT IN PEACH TREES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6255, 3 December 1881, Page 6

THE BLIGHT IN PEACH TREES.

Mb. Andrew Faiuskrvice, in a letter which he writes on the above subject, says : — All interested in the cultivation o£ the peach tree—and that means everybody, for all eat peaches—are indebted to "Agricola" for his account of the peach blight and proposed remedies given in last week's Wekkly News. We must plant hardy varieties. "Agricola," however, does not mention what appears to me to be the cause of the fatal blight, and I shall be glad to hear his opinion as to what I consider the cause of the well-named "fire-blight." I may mention that I have every possible opportunity of observation, as 1 pass the greater part of my time in my orchard, attending to the wants of my trees, and daily observing if any of them have suffered mischief from the weather, insects, birds, or, in the fruit season, bipeds. I. formed a new orchard nine years ago on the most sheltered spot on my farm. In my old orchard I had suffered from the west wind. In my selection of a new site I did not take into consideration the power of the venomous east wind, nor did it display that power in full till fifteen months ago. Two years ago my peach trees were loaded with fruit, and last year were covered with blossom, but after strong east winds I noticed that the flowers and young sprouting leaves were blighted; the nectarines and apricots also suffered. Few trees were killed outright, the tops of most of them preserving their vitality, and a few bearing fruit. A few months later, in the middle of summer, the young shoots on a clotli-of-gold rose, that covers the small cottage in my orchard, were blighted by the east wind on the east side of the cottage, the rest of the tree escaping. At the same time the white grapes 011 my vinos were blighted, the Black Hamburgh escaping. This year the poisonous cast wind has again done it work. My nearest neighbour, from whom I am separated by a stream a few yards wide (Waitetuna river), has on his farm an old Maori peach grove, in a gully wall-sheltered from the east. I have just been to look at those tr«es, "which I remember considerably more than twenty years ago. I found, as I was informed I would, that those trees that have escaped destruction from cattle are covered with fruit, in spite of moss and every possible negleot. Another neighbour has a few peach trees in a thoroughly sheltered bush clearing. These trees, like those we used to love to look upon, are covered with verdure from the ground to the tops of the highest branches. I have one tree, a late peach, received from Messrs. Mason, of Parnell, that seems to be proof against the east wind, and several trees on the bank of the river are only slightly injured. I have also observed a few unsheltered trees in different parts of the district but little injured. This, of course, is against the theory of the east wind being the cause of the blight. However, those who wish to grow peaches will be more likely to be successful by planting them in places sheltered from the wicked wind, so injurious to human life, as well as to vegetation in all countries.

The consecration of the Frecmason's-hall, Princes-street, is advertised to te held on Tuesday, in the new hall, at 2 o'clock. A rehearsal meeting of the district and provincial grand officers is to be held in the new hall on Monday ovoning, at half-past 7 o'clock.