Milford chronicle., 1889-09-13
Peach Yellows Again.

I
The PHILADELPHIA Record says: A Del
aware farmer who has made $50, 900 from hii
peach orchards in the past 20 years said re
Gently, as he pocketed big check from his
Water street commission merchant, "In tel
years Delaware peach will be ss rare Z
thug in this market as it was 80 or more
years ago, when old Major Reybold shipped
the first cargo Of the fruit to Philadelphia
from his farm near Delaware City. There
are now no peaches grown about Delaware
City; the peach belt has moved south on the
peninsula. In 10 years peaches have be-
come a precarious crop aud it looks now as
if the greatest peach country of the world
will be as bare of peach trees as it was when
Reybold planted his first orchard. The yell
lows, the deadly enemy Of the peach, has
driven the orchards out of existance, and
the average crop, which was few years ago
more than 3ooo,o 900 baskets, is now less
than, 1000, ooo."
THREATENED COLLAPSE OF PEACH GROWING.
Peaches have been for thirty years more
plenty and more lucious in the Eastern
cities of the United States than anywhere
else in the world, and the prospective COM
plete collapse Of the growing of the fruit in
the great peach belt so near this city is a
most interesting fact.
The peach crop Of the Delaware and
Maryland Peninsula has for the past %
years been worth more than 100000 a
year to the little stretch known as 'the
peach country" extending IS miles north
and south Of Dover, the capital of Della
ware and 80 miles east and west between
the two days. In the past 20 years includ-
ing 1888, the Delaware railroad, which
drains this peach country, has shipped 81,
356,4I7 baskets of the fruit and fully 49,
ooo, 900 baskets have found their way to
market by water.
A THREATENED LOSS OF MILLIONS.
This years crop will be less than mill
ion baskets, and next years probably less.
The decadence of the peach crop means
not only loss to the farmers but an enor-
nous loss to the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, which owns both the Philadel-
phia, Wilmington and Baltimore and the
Delaware Roads, over which all peaches
shipped by rail must pass
So important is the question presented
~ the prospective disappearance of the
beach from the peninsula that the United |
States government has detailed a special |
gent to the region to study peach culture
With hope that something may be done
o stop the ravages OF the "yellows" and
estore the peach business to its old-time
-lory.
THE GOVERNMENT SEEKS A REMEDY.
Since 1887 Professor Edwin Smith,
pecial agent of the department of agri-
ulture, has been studiously at work, and
e has hopes of ultimately ascertaining the
ause Of the disease and of being able to
OF only prevent the spread but to provide
leans for the utter determination OF the
isease. The first symptoms of the
yellows" is a premature ripening of
uit practically tasteless, although from
distant view it has an appetizing appear
ace. In the FIRST stages the trees may ap-
ear to be perfectly healthy, but later the ,
liage turns yellow.
Affected orchards can be seen for miles.
} distinctly yellow is the appearance of
lie trees. The disease is not alone con-
ned to the Delaware Peninsula, but it is :
-evalent in every county of PENNSYLVANIA
I'd New Jersey and in the upper part of .
aryland. It RACES in the latter localities
18th all the deadly effects that are so
arming to the Peninsular producers.
IERE IsA LINGERING HOPE FOR THE PEACH. [
The ''yellows" have prevailed i'll South.
estern Michigan orchards for the past /
-enty years. Professor Smith, who has
ade an inspection of the Michigan or. d
ards. advises peninsular farmers to sup t
ant the affected trees as a preliminary
eventive, and to this end the late Della
ire Legislature passed a law recurring ?
overs in lower Kent and in Sussex s
nnties to dig up trees that have symptoms a
the contagion. The enactment is being -,
served pretty generally. "
The losses to the growers by the 'svel.
Vs. have already amounted to millions RI
dollars. Young orchards appear to be i
re easily effected, although trees of all u
IS fall ready victims to the ravapes of b
contagion X
Professor Smith is stationed at Dover.
hope has not yet been given up that
iedy may yet be found. In the mean.
e, however, peach lovers are likely to
their fruit much decreased in quality
quantity, but largely increased in price