Peach Tree Diseases

Some years ago a gentleman residing near Cincinnati created a sensation by what he regarded á new method q keeping peach trees healthy. All that he did was to pile up earth about the trees, the mound reaching up to the branches. It took several cart loads of earth to make these mounds and the little orchard had the appearance of bushes growing out of the top of the cone of earth. Every one used to look on and laugh at the thought of burying up the trunk of a tree to keep it healthy; but there were the trees, and undoubtedly models of health. Those who saw simply stated their belief that it c;y ouiy a coiucidence, and that the u fes would probably have been as healthy without the mound oL earth as v.-ith it. Since it has come to be we!l recognized that many of the diseases of plants, not merely of the peach trees, but of other trees, are caused by the myeeluim of a minute fungus attackip.g the roots, it is not at all unlikely that the mound of earth acted beneflclally, hy preventing the growth of the fungua v.hich preys on the roots of trees. It. tg now well understood that a'J ptants er a lower order of vegetation, v.h;:,i; we know as fungi, will onJy i;. -i . nader a peculiar combinatlw oí' i . islrisiances. Among otrier things thfíy must be very near the surfare oí t.iie earth, and if buried to the depüi they would be under a mound it is uniikely the fungi would find a satisfactory home. Some will say right here'that they thought burying up the trusks of trees and co-enng# the suriace roots with earth was destructiva to health; but the buryinj by itseif is not the reason tiíes f!o vrbec earth is piled over them to a considerable depth, but from the fact that the young growing roots do not get air. These young growing roots are alnnst '11 at '1 " ■íj;-:rí1f ';:s, and the mound of earth around the root? would not in the sliglitest degree injure these outer roots. Whcnever a valued tree is somewhat buried it is custoinary to leave a space around the tronk, perhaps building a dry wal], in order to keep the earth from getting nelr the trunk; but this is not that the earth is injurious, but to.give a chance for water to fiow freely down into the soil and the flow of water elways leads to a flow of air following the water. These remarks are suggested by an article in an agricultural paper, stating that the apple Üorer and the peach borer have been k.9$t ■'■■.t ei" the trunka o' trees by making a mound of earth around the trunks.