186 TBANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



sects. Not the common rot, but as distinct from it as the black or 

 bitter rot in the apple is distinct from the common, possessing also 

 its peculiar quality of propagating itself — in other words being 

 contagious. 



The introduction of this disease was contiguous with the intro- 

 duction of the Hale's Early variety and its fruiting. This variety 

 seemed to embody all that was desirable in a peach tree; hardiness 

 of tree and bud, earl 3^ maturity of tree and fi-uit, and withal a pro- 

 lific bearer of as handsome fruit as one could wish to see. These 

 rendered it popular, and it was quickly disseminated. In my own 

 experience nothing was noticed unusual until its second bearing, 

 when the disease referred to was observed and watched with inter- 

 est. The development and spread was confined mostly to this 

 variety during the first year of its appearance; but after this it 

 gradually attacked all others, and it was noticed that some varieties 

 were always more resisting than others. As in all matters of decay, 

 conditions of weather had much to do with its development and 

 progress. From this time the decline of peach culture set in. In a 

 few years it was almost entirely abandoned, not for the want of 

 crops so much as our inability to save them. The question arises. 

 Would this have been so but for the introduction of the Hale's Early 

 and kindred varieties, and could Southern Illinois recover her old 

 prestige as a peach-growing section by discarding all varieties that 

 ripen earlier than the old Troth's Early. All varieties that we have 

 cultivated that mature in advance of the Troth's Early have devel- 

 oped the same tendency to rot, and to about the same extent, as the 

 Hale's Early. This includes the Amden's June, Alexander, Beatrice, 

 Rivers and others; and what is remarkable, none are a perfect free- 

 stone. Does any one know of a variety that ripens in advance of 

 the Troth's Early that is a perfect freestone? This may be of no 

 consequence, but it is certainly very suggestive if there is none. All 

 plum peaches are more liable to decay than freestones, and the 

 earlier their maturity the more this tendency is observed. The 

 warmer weather of July and August may account for this, but it 

 does net explain why a clingstone should be more liable to decay 

 than a freestone. Insects are a prominent factor in the spread of any 

 skin disease among fruits, and no doubt greatl}^ aided in the spread 

 of this rot; but until after its appearance it was possible to save the 

 fruit to the extent, at least, of making it sufficiently profitable to 

 continue its culture. In a word, we wish to record our belief that 

 the decline and almost total abandonment of peach culture in our 

 State is due to the introduction of this disease; and that the cause, 

 and continuing cause, was the introduction of the Hale's Early and 

 kindred varieties. Any system of inquiry that might result in ascer- 

 taining the facts in regard to this matter might result in the revival 

 of an industry that has been practically abandoned in our State. 



