Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-14

Report on Peach Fellows.
The GAZETTE is in receipt of a
government publication which will be
read wi avidity by the peach growers of
this Peninsula. 1t Is entitled s.Addi-
tonal Evidence on the Communica-
bility of Peach Fellows and Peach
Rosett4," prepared by Erwin F. Smith,
Be. D., and published by authority OF
the Secretary of Agriculture. The text
of the pamphlet is illustrated by num-
Der of well-executed reproductions from
photographs of trees in various stages of
disease.
Dr.t Smith says in his Introductory
that peach yellows was formerly con.
.finedlto small district on the Atlantic
coast, but during the last 30 years it has
invaded distant regions hitherto free
and pas entirely ruined the peach indus
try over very considerable areas. 1t
seenfs to be native to the eastern United
States. Diligent inquiry has thus far
failed to bring to light any notice of its
occurrence in Europe or other parts of
the globe. 1t has spread as far south
as southern Virginia and probably as
far west as Arkansas and north eastern
Texas. No trace of the disease has vet
been reported from the Pacific coast,
The writer earnestly warns growers in
localities still exempt "to stamp out the
disease upon its first appearance" and
to guard vigiantly against the mpor-
,,, ss.ation of trees from infected districts.
! roll hese remarks apply with especial force
debato the Pacific coast nd in this connection
opent is well to remember that the apricot
yeaslnd almond are also subject to yellows.
Votnlt would be much safer for the Cali
fornians to grow their own peach trees
IN han TO introduce any from the eastern
81 Sh nUnited States. If trees are imported it
testsshould be known beyond question that
foulthey are from regions where this disease
sub does not occur. The mere fact that the
iset nursery stock is healthy at the date of
70 shipments not sufficient guaranty that
~ ~ 1t will continue So"
an DIR. Smith then proceeds to describe nj
tn length the symptoms, appearance and
We progress of the disease, and in this con-
70 20 nection makes the Notwithstanding
M even to many who are aware in n
general way of the ravages of the vel
nj lows-that the loss to the growers of
W Delaware and Maryland during the
season of 1891 on premature fruit.
: which is the product of dying trees,
certainly exceeded half a million
d dollars y
In the second chapter DIR. Smith de.
! tails the result of experiments. made
with scientific care and watchfulness
and under varying conditions of locality
soil, &C., in the incubation of healthy
stocks by buds taken from diseased
trees. The evidence has been over
whelming and complete that such buds
invariably transmit the disease to the
seedllng stock. In a foot-note, DIR.
smith states that so far as he knows.
there has been only one well authenti.
Gated case in which buds taken from a
diseased tree and inserted into a
healthy stock have lived long
enough and developed vigorously
enough to bear peaches. In one
OF Dr. Smita's experiments seedlings
from Maryland nursery were selected,
The greater part Of them were budded
from healthy looking shoots taken from
vigorous tree which "had shown no
symptoms of the disease until that sum.
mer, when some of its limbs bore prema
lure fruit and the characteristic shoots"
Nearly every one of the buds took: the
builder being very expert The binds
were cut on August Sd, 1887, and in
serted the same day. In the spring of
1888, while the buds were vet dormant
THESE young trees We're removed 10 lIub
bardston, Michigan and planted m
ground that had been cleared of forest
and brought under cultivation snce
1880 There were no known cases ~
yellows within 40 miles and the nenrest
commercial orchards were 90 miles
away, ana not extensive. Altogether 1856
OF these young trees were planted in
THIS locality. Of these, 210 had been
buddedi the remainder were unbuddcd
seedlings from the same nursery. OF the
.lo budded trees only six were living.
ana they were diseased, at the time Of
the last examination, August 18TH. 1891
Among the 126 unbudded trees, although
one-third of them had died from other
causes, there had been only one case Of
yellows developed. Most of them werc
sun healthy and growing vigorously.
Or. Smith gives the record and re-.
suits of other experiments which will
be found interesting and instructive. In
the third chapter he narrates Ills experl.
enee in the extirpation of diseased limbs
and shoots with view of seeinp
whether the remainder OF tile tree could
be saved and neighborng trees nrc.
served from infection. MANY trials
were made, which are recorded ii detail
The results varied considerable IN
report summarizes, "bpt in no case did
the removal Of affected parts stop the
progress of disease. The symptoms RI.
appeared the following season III all but
two of the trees, and in these two thew
came back the second season. Even
when the entire top was removed, Ms by
the tornado OF August aist, 1851, liz
disease quickly reappeared. \
The most that can be said Is that the
seyerost excisions appeared to exert 4
retardlng influence on the progress IF
the disease. OF course, the results OBJ.