496 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Your coramittcc, who were appointed to examine the peaches in this vicinitj' to see if 

 any yellows could be found, and if so, to have tbem removed, beg leave to report : That 

 ■where traces of it were found one and two years ago, and then removed, none now can be 

 found ; and where new trees are set in their places, they are growing finely, and to all 

 appearances healthy. In one case two years ago the owner tried to cut it out of the tree 

 by cutting off the affected limb, but last season he found that and three adjoining trees 

 affected. These were carefully removed, and no traces of the disease can now be found in 

 his orchard, A similar case was found last season, where two peaches were found diseased 

 on the end of a limb, which limb was removed as soon as the peaches were discovered to 

 be diseased. On a recent examination, this tree was found to be covered with diseased 

 peaches, and several other trees in the neighborhood were likewise found affected, in whole 

 or in part, which have all been removed. Your committee found one case where the yel- 

 lows originated from the burning of a house two years ago, which destroyed one side of the 

 tree. The following season tufts of small wiry shoots came out on the line dividing the 

 burned and green wood, and all the peaches on the tree were spotted a month before the 

 usual time of ripening, and the peaches on the nearest tree were affected with the yellows, 

 about three-fourths of them, though no tufts or diseased shoots could be found until after 

 the fruit ripened, at which time the trees were removed, and with their removal all traces 

 of the yellows disappeared. A case less positive occurred in one of our orchard* by the 

 burning of a stump in June, which was followed by the appearance of the yellows the 

 same season. 



Your committee are undecided as to whether the yellows are originated by the peach tree 

 borer more or less girdling the tree just below the surface of the ground, overbearing, neg- 

 lected pruning, the want of cultivation or manure, or trees standing in grass. One or two 

 cases of the yellows may have originated from a combination of these causes. Great care 

 should be exercised in increasing the vitality of the peach by selecting strong healthy trees 

 and taking care of them. We found numerous cases of budded yellows, where diseased 

 buds were used. The vitality of the stock or root covers the disease until the tree comes 

 into bearing, when it is seen in the premature reddening of the fruit and yellowing of the 

 new wood and leaves. In the case of budded yellows, all the fruit is simultaneously af- 

 fected ; whereas, in fertilized yellows, or blossoms fertilized from the pollen of diseased 

 trees, only those identical peaches are affected. We experienced no difficulty in fertilizing 

 a healthy tree with diseased pollen, when we ascertained that the pollen grains on a dis- 

 eased tree were more forward than on a healthy tree, and less time could be used in using 

 it. This accounts for the fact that a diseased tree does not always affect all the trees m its 

 neighborhood, nor all the fruit on the same tree or limb. For this reason the almond is less 

 liable to the attack of the yellows than the nectarine, because it does not bloom simulta- 

 neously with the peach. On account of its great hardihood, thrift, and adaptability to dif- 

 ferent soils and exemptions from the borer and splitting of the limb, to increase the vitality 

 of the peach, we would recommend the use of the almond for stocks for peach trees. As 

 far as using diseased pits are concerned, your committee so far have failed to make them 

 grow. Buds from diseased trees grow readily. 



Your committee are pleased to report that the owners of orchards readily concur in the 

 view taken by us, and willingly consent to the removal of diseased trees and destruction of 

 the unwholesome fruit, so that we are happy to say no yellows can be found in our orchards, 

 and to completely eradicate it should any occur in our late maturing varieties, one or more 

 examinations should be made later in the season. 



H. E. BIDWELL, 

 H. LINDERMAN, 

 JOHN WILLIAMS, 



Committee. 



South Have:n, Sept. 12th, 1874. 



The secretary was called upon to report the progress of the premium lists, 

 which he stated would be ready for distribution at the next meeting. The 

 president stated that the time for holding the fair was chosen to be October 

 1st and 2d, and he believed all would assist in making it a success. 



Mr. Brunson of Benton Harbor being present, was called upon to give his 

 views concerning the spread of the yellows at his place and St. Joseph, He 

 said the yellows first appeared there five years ago, and on account of its not 

 being cut out then some twenty of the largest, oldest, and best orchards had 

 to be all destroyed last winter, and the rest would have to go unless they 

 adopted our plan of instant removal of any trees found affected. His views 



