Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-03-07
PsAoH PsLLows.
An IntelIigent D,.cn,.,on =,

An Intelligent Discussion OF Th,.
Great Eyla-Ebe Necessity of Gare-
fui and Thorough Scientific anye.-
ftgaiion.
Prepared for the Gazette and Journni.R s-.
Tho peach iE an enigma, and its treat.
ment has by no means been reduced 70
an exact science, and its yesponse TO
treatment Is rarely the same under the
same circumstances, as apparent to the
ordinary observer. Ihsve grown peaohe,
and Experimental considerably, and vet |
cannot say that have noticed any facts
TO lead me to assert that have obtained |
invariably definite results from ihe same |
line of experiments. This Ia true az TO |
fertilizing the peach tree, in my obstrya- |
ton. / still assert one apparent fant.
viz: That peach trees that have been
planted on land enriched by limo and
granted manure, are peculiarly liable 10
develop yellows. As TO what to uso on
peach trees as fertilizers, am sure as 10
potash and phoBphorio acid, especially
potashj aud uncertain as to nitrogen, and
yet as to trees fertilized with all three, or
with potash nlone, or with phosphorio
acid alone, know one or all will an
parently renew growth in the tree; will
give richer, larger aud better fruit. Yet,
" one contends that these trees 40 fer.
tilizsd are and will be mora liable to vel.
lows, cannot either confirm or deny his
assertions.
Facts can be cited 10 prove that suoh
trees were benefited and again facts In
equal number can he cited to prove thst
such trees are more prone to take on vel
lows. Gan We lay down the rlls that the
richer the ground the mora liability
there Is to yellows, or Its converse In.
dioations point TO such conclusion, but
the arguments and facts are by no means
conclusive.
Then again the indications point 10
such q conclusion much .more Il nitro
ganeous fertilizers be- used, than non.
heterogeneous; but the conclusions ore mot
constant enough 10 justify rule. 1t is
we'll known that in water culture OF
plants we can vary tho potash and pboe-
phoric acid almost indefinitely and the
plants will thrive; but IL we vary the
nitrogen only slightly the plants will not
only not thrive but may die. These
points rs TO the nitrogen are OF great i'm
portapcs In peach culture. Shall we ust
itin our commercial fertilizers for peache'
and shall we plant and pillow under in
our peach orchards such green, highly
nitrogeneous crops as clover aud othei
leguminous plants7 This is an important
point, for many OF our most intelligent
growers are now advocating the planting
and piowiug under OF such crops, ant
others sRain will tell You that sowing 81
orchard to clover ia sure way to run |
ont. The whole method Ia rank empiri
cisnn, that Is, uuHcientiio, and we wan
light on this nitrogen question ct once
and we will get it.
CrowdiDg trees will and does produc
these diseases, Just as crowdiDg human
beings will produce zymotio diseases, an
Of course the more dense the crowdin
the more development of nitrogeneou
products, and thus yellows follows t
districts where trees increase in number
as population increases to demand them
and so In Delaware we had yellows frs
In New CASTLE, next In Ke1t, and MOI
threatening Sussex.
Az to the starvation theory advocate
by Prof. Penhsliow and others. Som
yenrs since know Of orchards treated O
they recommended, aud know of non
more unfortunate In their yielding to til
destructive Influences OF the diseas
Mr.. Erwin r. Smith OF the agticulturi
department at Washington, combats th
theory OF soil exhaustion ss chief cam
OF peach yellows in an able address d
iivered before int New 3tsssy StRto No
ticultural Society Of Trenton last Decor
Der. The low, freezing temperature
sone Of our winters 10 given by many
cause. This ia probably not the oaus
or IL would have existed always, yea
and years ago, after winter OF very 10
Temperature The south and 0siiforn
will be the spots In which to test th
theory.
One Of the great causes of the rap
destruction of our trees Ia no doubt d.
to the great demand for trees and u
planting and budding of improper sto
arising from this demand. Proper ca
Ia not taken by the average nurserym
in getting his seed and his buds. II
generally concluded from the expe
ments Of Mr.. smith that seeds from trs
afflicted with yellows don't sprout. Y
we know some do sprout; and again the
Ia probably more danger in the bud tn
In tho seed and many, very many OF o
buds are taken, II not from diseas
trees, from districts and even fri
orchards where trees with yeliows q
standing. II Is all nonsense to talk
our nurserymen using only natul
seed. One gentleman In the busine
for whom / hold high degree
respsct, told me that there We
not over one thousand bushels
natural ssed In the market in any o
year. This estimate Is probably belt
the amount available, but shows
futility of talking of all the peach tire
raised here as from natural seed. kn'
of some instances where there are, :
three orchards on farm, subject TO
yane conditions. The odd orchards
yet healthy. The orchards next In pc
OF age are inferior In health to the old
orchards, and the orchards third
descent are dying or dead with
yellowB. All these orchards after
first were planted Of seeds and buds fr
the firAt orchards, true breeding in a
In. These are very striking facts
Another fact: All our old orchards
my experience are now more rellable,
at all In bearing condition, in badly
feoted districts, than the younI
orchards. We should hold these
trees as long as we can, because
younger trees, or many Of them, devel
yellows almost ss soon as they O.
inence to grow In the orchard, Bht
ing that they were probably propega
from diseased pits.or buds, or from DO
Here is one great argument for pull
out all diseased trees at once aud bum
them. How can we expect to get heal
trees and stop the yellows II We are pr,
agatipe frora diseased trees IL posi-
We should endesvoI to breed ont, as
were, this tendency to yellows In
trees. Our nurserymen should use p
pits and binds obtained from scott
where yeIlows does not exist. Why
r.n An nnIifnrnia Australia. even i