THE DISEASES OF THE PEACH TREE. 21 



that month and the beginnino^ of December the cold weather set in very sud- 

 denly, the thermometer sinking till it fell below zero, in New York, and to 

 the north and east of us, eight or ten degrees below. Many young pear and 

 cherry trees were killed. Peach trees in similar situations were not killed, but 

 many of them were injured; this did not prevent them from putting out leaves, 

 blossoming, and bearing fruit. In the summer the leaves grew weak, and of a 

 yellowish, sickly appearance. In the spring, to all outward appearance, the 

 trees had sustained no injury, but in cutting the shoots a blackness appeared 

 in the heart ; in some quite black, others had black dots around and in the 

 pith. Some of the trees I cut down to the budded part and discovered that the 

 same blackness of heart appeared as in the small branches. Others I left 

 standing they put out leaves and fruit. The fruit ripened pi'ematurely and was 

 tasteless. I think those trees had the Yellows, and that the weather of the 

 previous fall and winter was the cause of it. 



The "Orchardist," published in Boston in 1833, by Kenrick, says the disease 

 is not known in New England. 



Mr. Cox says : " The malady which destroys much the largest portion of the 

 trees has hitherto baffled every effort to subdue it; neither cause or character 

 of the disease appear to be understood. I think the disease is contagious, and 

 trees should not be planted on the sirae ground for years. The only remedy I 

 know of is to destroy the trees immediately." 



Now mv opinion is that the Yellows is a mystery as much as the pear blight 

 is, and I think that if the idea that late growth and severe winters be correct, 

 trees in this part of Michigan would have had the Yellows many years ago. 



E. D. LAY. 



LETTER FROM A. S. DYCKMAN. 



South Haven, March 30th, 1S73. 



Sir: — Yours of the :^7th inst. is at hand. I think a good suggestion is made 

 by Doctor Woodman of this place, to determine whether the disease known as 

 the "Yellows" is carried into the circulation through the blossom, by select- 

 ing a healthy tree standing near those that are affected, and carefully remove 

 the blossoms before they open. If the tree should not become affected, and 

 the experiment tried in a number of different situations with the same effect, 

 the evidence would be strong in favor of the theory that the disease is propa- 

 gated through the blossom, and may be spread by bees and other insects. In 

 that case the disease might be checked by destroying the blossom buds when 

 about to open. Or, if this should prove not practicable, a very interesting fact 

 would be demonstrated. 



There are places in this State where I think these experiments could be very 

 successfully made. If it should appear also that young trees do not become 

 affected before blossoming, this fact would tend to corroborate the theory. 



As to our own locality, my attention was not called to the subject until last 

 season. At that time the committee on orchards could not find any indica- 

 tions of the disease among my trees. Only a few trees in other orchards in 

 this vicinity have been under suspicion, and those have either been destroyed 

 or marked for destruction. We will keep close watch the present season and 

 be able to report fully for our locality. 



We have tried no experiment for the cure except the axe. 



Peach trees having serrated leaves are more liable to mildew than glandular 



