In the culture of peaches here) an evil has been encountered for the last two years, which, so far as I have experience, is new. You are doubtless aware that the elevation of this part of the state, and its distance from large bodies of water, make its climate at best, much cooler than at Buffalo, Albany, and Boston, which lie nearly on the same parallel. Hence the culture of peaches here, at best, is difficult. The evil to which I refer is the "curled leaf." There is a " curled leaf" noticed by Downing, which is described as a trivial evil, and is, by him, ascribed to an insect. But the evil which I am now about to describe is very formidable, and has resulted in my own case, in the almost entire destruction of the peach crop. I do not know its extent. I have heard of its existence in various parts of this state and in Ohio. A native of England told me recently that he had seen it there.

In the spring, of 1845,1 planted peach-stones, derived from a source now forgotten, if it was ever ascertained. It would have been wise to assure myself that they were from the north or west, since, both theoretically and practically, such stones are preferable to those brought from the south. Some of these trees were budded with choice varieties, named in the books; others were permitted to produce natural fruit. From the time they began to flower, (in their third and fourth years,) until two years since, the great obstacle encountered was the severity of the winter's cold, it being found that the depression of the thermometer to from 10° to 15° below zero, for a few days, was pretty sure to destroy the vitality of nearly all the fruits buds. For the last two years I have encountered a new evil - the " curled leaf".

The immediate facts in the case are these. Within one week, (sometimes a little less or more,) after the trees are in full bloom, a red color, (at first very pale,) is seen upon the young rosettes of leaves. This indication advances rapidly, sometimes over a single branch, but usually over the whole tree, involving from a few leaves to nearly the whole of them, according to the severity of the attack. The circulation seems paralyzed, so that the young shoots do not extend themselves; the leaves rapidly thicken, curl up, turn whitish, pale, green, yellow, or almost any color, and acquire three or four times their proper weight, become covered with insects in some cases, and soon drop off, carrying with them whatever fruit had set. After this, in severe cases, the whole or a part of the tree dies; but more commonly new leaves put out, especially from the extremity of the branches, and from dormant buds, and soon clothe the whole tree with verdure. In a few cases, more severe still, the tree dies in its first efforts to develop its leaves, which never expand enough to show much curl of the leaf or the red tinge.

The Curled Leaf On The Peach-Tree #1

An ingenious essay and theory, this of Mr. Gqodpricr - and quite observant, at least. All of us, who grow peaches, have had the curled leaf more or less, for the past two years. But I doubt the cause to be what he suggests. Why should the peach trees in Delaware and Ohio, have it at the same time, where the weather was not half so cold as in Western New-York; and not so cold either, as has usually been the case in and about Utica, when no curl took place? The truth is, these curls and other maladies, come and go in all sorts of seasons; we neither know why nor wherefore. Mr. G.'s trees appear to have been more deeply affected than many others. I saw many that were badly curled, which bore good crops of fruit, although the curled leaves foil off, and were replaced with new ones, which fact would contradict a part of the theory in question.

This article is valuable, however, in recording the presence of such a malady; and although we may not see the curl again for years, it may hereafter be referred to with profit in other questions.