Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-10-13
THE PEACH YELLOWS.
A Disease That Battles Skilled and
Scientific Labor.


be read before the Kent County Farmers
Institute, Of which he is II prominent
and active member, on the "PeaCh Vel
lows is as follows
The peach yelows have baflled the |
skill and science Of tho most learned
college professors as well as the most
ignorant tiller Of the soil. After all
the discussion in newspapers and club
rooms; after all the efforts Of our agri
cultural colleges, assisted by the power
of the national government, this hateful
disease still continues its destroying
march through our orchards.
We are continually asked, how does
this disease originate? From whence
docs it come? What is its origin? In
reply to this we can only use the words
Of our Lord in His reply to another
question that was unanSwerable, "Hhe
wind bloweth where il listcth; thou
hearest the sound thereof and canst not
tell whence it cometh or whittier it
goeth."
But there are not wanting brave souls
who do not hesitate to furnish all an
| swer Us to the origin of the peach yell
| lows. One man comes forward and de-
clares that this disease originates in the
| soil, and yet ! can show you four year
old trees that during this summer We're
| loaded with rich, luscious and mature
| fruit and yet these beautiful and fruit
full trees grew in the very place that was
once occupied by trees that had been
removed because they had the yellows
So we might ask if the soil caused one
set of trees to take the yellOws, why
would it not cause another set TO take ii
when they are planted in the same place?
Another declares that this disease
| originates in the air. If this were SO
then we would naturally expect that
wherever the air circulates there we
should find the disease, and as the air
has been in circulation for very long
time before we had any peach orchards,
ii the disease is in the air the peach
would long ago have become unknown.
SO that the fact that we still have
| peaches and that the air still continues
10 circulate, is slight intimaton that
this disease does not originate III the air.
Another comes forward and asserts
| that this disease comes from the nur-
series. But we asked where does the
| nurseryman getitg Would he willingly
or unwillingly assist in the spread Of u
disease that would sooner or later dis
troy his business and leave him bank
| rupt? Let me cite you Il few facts that
think will relieve the nurserymen from
I any shadow Of suspicion. Andrew
Holden, of near FELTON,, has thousands
OF trees from one year old up to 30. The
! peach commissioners have examined
this orchard twice this year and have
only found three trees that were slightly
affected with the disease. Mr.. Holden
! purchased his trees from several different
nurseries and the three trees found
diseased were old ones. Two Of them
were planted by Mr.. Holden long before
we knew anything of the yellows in
this country, and the third was q tree
set out by a former owner or tenant on
the farm over 25 years ago. So if the
disease was carried to Mr.. Holden's trees
from the nurseries, why does it not
attack some Of his younger trees rather
than the old ones.
Though we cannot tell how this
disease originates, we do know that it
is as contagious to peach trees as small
poX is III the human family by what
means this disease is communicated
from tree to tree men differ, but that it
Is fact all arc agreed. My own opinion
Is that 1t is communicated by means of
bees or other insects. was very forcibly
impressed with this idea on recent
visit TO Mr.. Stcvenson's orchard on Hog
Island. On this island there is yours
orchard perfectly surrounded by a
swamp, and to my utter amazement
and surprise we found over 20 twU-ycar-
old trees with the yellows. Mr.. Stephen
son took us around the swamp and we
found an old orchard, only few rods
distant from the young one, with only
~ trees not affected. This convinced
me that the only way by which this
disease could be communicated from
the old orchard to the young one was
by means of bees or other insects.
Now let me give you u few facts from
my own experience and observation,
Hon. hi salisbury bought peach trees
for two different farmers at the same
time and at the same place. The trees
were divided and one set We're put out
on farm near Marshy Hope Bridge,
and the others near Dover. Those set
out near Dover are full OF the yelows,
while the others are we'll and thrifty.
Thomas u. Coursey, Esq, through an
experiment station secured some Young
peach trees raised in Tasmania, and set
them out under the most favorable cOndt-
tions,and never saw Il palmer case OF the
} yellows than was exhibited by those
same trees imported from Tasmania.
With the abundant and undoubtri in
formation that we have concerning the
yellows as contiguous disease, il il re-
markable to notice with what stupidity
men will allow this frightful sc0urse to
invade aad destroy their orchards.
About five years ago | WAS inqdirIng
about certain variety of peaches and
was told by gentleman that he had
that kind, | visited his orchard, saw
the tree and told him il had the yelows.
He allowed 1t to stand long enough to
, inoculatc the entire orchard, and to de-
stroy adjacent orchards.
Again was driving past an orchard
in this county (kcn) and saw Il tree
with the yellows. | Immediately ad-
visca the man 10 destroy it, but he re
, fused, and to-day the orchard is only iii
for Internationally destroyed hy thu
yellows. Tie man who carefully
watches his orchard and who unhesi
tatingly pulls out and destroys each und
every tree that has the slightest symp.
tom Of the disease is the man VINO will
! stay longer III the business than amy on,
I else. Four years ago friend found Nv,
trees Slightly diseased. He Immediately
destroyed those two trees, root anC
branch, and has not seen sign of tn,
disease III his orchard since. Two year
G ago another found three trees. He de
s stroyed them ami has not been trouble
. with the disease since. Such cases an
Y numerous and | might cite them by TN
v score.
have tried to warn you Of the dan
gers of this dreaded disease, and hope