Smyrna times., 1890-02-05
Peninsula Horticultural sooietu


The annual meeting of the Peninsula
horticultural Society was held at
ChestertOwn last week. The address
of welcome was delivered by the Hon.
James A. Pearce. This was responded
to by President J. w. Kerr. DR.. w.
s. Kerr submitted the report of the
general committee on fruits. Sneak
ing on peaches he said "The peach is
the first fruit in Importance grown on
the Peninsula, and if a little wisdom is
displayed it will still continue to be
our mOneyed crop. The removal of
diseased trees as fast as they make
their appearance is absolutely neces-
sary for the success Of the fruit. In
the propagation ofpeach trees the seed
| should be selected from the strongest
growing varieties known to be healthy.
Inc tennessee natural seed should be
discarded, for we have been credibly
informed that most of these seed come
from Northern canning houses. The
only known remedy for yellows is the
removal of the tree. To accomplish
this in all orchards is a necessity. and
halfway measures will not do. The
law must be radical. If We could get
the Michigan law, providing for the
obstruction of all trees affected with
the yellows, enacted for the whole
tenlnsula, we believe our peach
growers would have plain sailing
western Maryland is moving in this
matter. What do the Peninsula grow
er9 intend to do? The peach rot fun
gus has caused the loss of thousands
OF dollars worth of fruit in recent
years. This can be remedied t1 a
great extent by picking all the fruit as
/ rotten"
In the report of S. H. Messick of
Brltdgevllle, he said: "Great Injustice
and possibly injury is done this PENN
snla by the press in giving publicity to
the erroneous idea that peach growing
Is speedily decreasing, and on this ac
count encouraging less favored sec
tlons TO engage in its production. A
communlcatiOn published in our ag-
rlcultural papers contained the start
ing intelligence that on this Peninsula
iouf times as many trees are being
drawn out as are being planted. and
the writer lauded his own section as
being the future home of the peacb
Inc editorial columns of two farmers
papers recently contained gloomy pic
lures ot the future of the peach on the
fehlnSula. These reports are mislead-
ing and dangerous. There never WIS
a time when so many peach trees re-
celVed thorough culture as at present
Inc nursery capacity of the Peninsula
Is enormous, nevertheless it would be
difficult at this time to have an order
| thOngpnH
eral assortment. Such is the extent of
the peach culture that it becomes a
serious question whether or not the
business is developing into dangerous
proportions. Less favored sections
that are induced by misleading reports
10 engage in fruit-growing will not
ilYe 10 see the time when they will not
nave formidable rival in this PENN
sula IN the production of this prince of
fruit"
TO STAMP OUT PEACH YELLOWs.
1t was at first intended to have two
sessions Thursday, the last dav. bur
several chairmen of committees were
absent, and President Kerr. of Caro-.
line county, crowded the business of
both sessions into one. Though no
discussions or reports on peaches or
anything concerning them were on the
programme for that day, that subject
OF so much interest to the fruit. growers
OF the peninsula "the yellows' bobbed
up serenely, and the last official ac-
tlon OF the convention was the adOD-
tlon OF resolution. offered by James
D Harris, OF Kent county, Md. look
ing toward the stamping out of the
disease. Even J. G. Brown, of Wvom-
ing, Del :, who believes the yellows can
be cured by mild methods. did nor
oppose the measure. The resolution
states that the orchards of the nenin.
sula are being depleted bv the Dearb
yelIows' and unless the disease is ar.
rested the greatest injury to the cul
lure 1Ire Of the peach is apprehended.
lhey therefore petition the MARYLAND
Legislature to pass law similar to the
Michigan peach law, which provides
for the total destruction of all trees
affected with the disease.
A great many fruit-growers who
voted for the resolution are anxious
that some such law should be on the
statute books, no matter at how great
cost; but while they are willing that
their diseased trees shall be torn mn
root and branch, and burned for The
benefit of the whole section. they think
1t no more than fair that some nrovis-
ion should be made for al least n mar
tial payment for the trees TINS do.
strOyed. The law against pleuro- pneu-
monla IN cattle is cited as a precedent
Ihese trees cost US a great deal of
money" said one, "and it is no more
than just that when they are torn IN
by the state we should at least have
some help toward replacing them"
Prof M. H. Beckwith, of the Della.
ware Experiment Station, read a long
paper on Injurious Insects and how
to Prevent their Ravages." He dwell
at length upon the little apple moth,
whlch causes so much destruction to
apple orchards over the entire coun-
try. As a remedy for the damage
they cause he suggested the thorough
sprlnkllng of the trees with a mixture
OF London purple dissolved in water.
This shonld be applied literally about
once in two weeks, from the time the
blossoms begin to fall until the fruit is
we'll grown.
There was some little discussion
ABOUT the next meeting place for the
society. Dover was first decided upon.
but the resolution adopting it was re,
considered, and there was n lively III.
tie discussion between the comDara-
tive merits of Dover and SMYRNA.
Easton, Md, came in as a dark horse
and carried of the honors. DR.. ]. J.
Black, of New Castle county. was elec.
ted president to succeed Mr., Kerr.
The other officers were reel ected.
OFFICERS,
The following officers were elected
to serve for the ensuing year: Presi-
dent, DR.. ]. J. Black, of Delaware
First Vice-president, DIR. H. Ridgelv
Dover, Del; Secretary, Wesley Webb
Dover, Del; Treasurer. A. T.
Hudson, Smyrna, Del. Vice-presi. |
dents for the counties: E. R. Cochran.
New Castle, Del; w. H .Burnite. Kent |
county, Del; S. H. Messick. SusseT
Del; George Biddle, Cecil, Md: N
Barnard, Kent, Md. q. i. JarreiI
Caroline, Nd; Samuel T. Earle. Queen
Anne's Md w. E. Jackson. Wicomico.
J. l.. Banning, Talbot; ]. II. Wrigbt |
IlOrpbRofnrs h., -oNNi /