No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 743 



or 1'1'ligiuiis purposes, but to consider tliat dcopcr and bioador sub- 

 ject, horticultuie, in its phases of culture, reliuemeiit, pleasure and 

 profit, caused me to accept your kind invitation with alacrity, that 

 it will be hard to maintain in the handling of the subject assigned 

 to me. 



The Evolution of the peach, the luscious fruit which alone of all 

 others, is medicine to the sick, nourishment to the convalescent, 

 and luxury to the well. One of Longfellow's verses, slightly trans- 

 posed, fully describes it: 



"For richness of feast 

 Is the peach of the East, 

 That grows by the Delaware River; 

 Whose sweet perfume 

 Fills all the room 

 With a benison on tlie giver." 



The growing of peaches, like all other pursuits, has made rich 

 and made poor, it has made two blades of grass grow where one 

 grew before, and also impoverished the lau'l where it grew. All 

 according to the grower. 



Its evolution then must be considered in the abstract as well 

 as the literal sense, because of its rise, its reign of supremacy, and 

 decline. The latter period, without any extreme optimistic view. 

 I believe to be past for the Delaware Peninsula and confident it is 

 for Pennsylvania, and base the view entirely on the assumption 

 that progressive horticulturists will make diligent use of the knowl- 

 edge obtained by sad experience. Perhaps there is nothing from 

 military strife to the invasion of political adventurers that has 

 been so potent in the formation of opinions and adoption of meth- 

 ods on the Peninsula as horticulture, chief of which is both king 

 and queen, the peach. 



It marks an epoch in history from the time when a meager live- 

 lihood was obtained by plain agriculture and the supply of timber 

 lands to rapid gains from fruit growing. That accounts, in a great 

 measure, for the inconsiderate and reckless horticulture practiced. 

 The one idea with the great majority was to set fruit trees, and 

 vines, for the money there was in it solely, there being little regard 

 for the kind of land on which they were set, kind of trees, or varie- 

 ties used, except, however, the same rule applied to trees that 

 was used bv the man ordering boots, viz: Get them as big as vou 

 can for the money. The varieties were chosen to commence the 

 season as soon as possible and continue it as long as possible. 

 The kinds predominating were those which some one had made the 

 most out of on lands and under conditions in everyway different 

 from the one who was setting them. "Get the lands in trees," was 



