THE DISEASES OF THE PEACH TREE, 2t 



Southern Michigan frnit belt which finds ifs outlet at the mouth of the St. 

 Joseph River, and expect to supply the large demand for peaches in the whole 

 Northwest for many years to come, Yellows or no Yellows. 

 I am, gentlemen, youis most truly, 



J. E. CHAMBERLAIN", 

 Vice Presiderit Mich. ISfaie Pom. Soc'fy 

 and Sec'y Si. Josejih Fruit Groioers' Association. 

 St. Joseph, April 12th, 1873. 



LETTER FROM T. T. LYON. 



Plymouth, May 21st. 1873. 

 Hon. J. C. Holmes, Hon. S. O. Knapp, Hon. H. G. Wells, Committee on the Yellows: 



Dear Sirs : — Your circular asking replies to certain queries is received, and 

 although I har>lly suppose an answer was expected in my case, I will take 

 occasion to say, I presume the real purpose of the society in the appointment 

 of your committee was to identify the disease alleged to exist at St. Joe, by 

 the action of a committee such as shall command respect and confidence. 

 Certainly I consider the effort to discover a specific for the cure of the Yellows 

 Tery much like the efforts of our forefathers to accomplish the transmutation 

 of the baser metals to gold, or their search after the fountain of perennial 

 youth. Still, if Wolverine science and acumen shall be able to accomplish, 

 what for more than fifty years has eluded the associated science, observation, 

 and experience of the East, in the solution of this problem, I shall feel that we 

 have a committee worthy and doubtless competent, to at least undertake that 

 other problem that has so long kept the pomological world agog, viz. : the 

 pearblighf. ; and even to determine the question associated with it, if not involv- 

 ing its solution, whether fungoid growth is the cause or the result of blight. 

 But to proceed to consider your qut-ries — 



1st. The chief disease afflicting the peach tree in this locality may more prop- 

 erly be said to be a disease of the chmate. 



2nd. It is undoubtedly not the Yellotus. 



5th. I accept the theory respecting the Yellows, as long prevalent at the 

 East, that it is, at least, in part, constitutional, and that it is contagious. 



8th. I have rarely, if ever, known mildew to attack other than serrate-leaved 

 rarieties of the peach. We have no other disease, so far as I have observed, 

 that seems to attack one class of varieties more than another. 



9th. The only other disease affecting peach trees here, so far as I have 

 observed, is the "leaf curl," — apparently the result of cold or damp weather 

 occurring while the foliage is yet tender. This disease seems to affect all 

 rarieties equally. 



10th. No. 



11th. We have all varieties of soil from light sand to heavy clay — and often- 

 times all occur in a single field. 



12tb. Our oldest peach orchards are not far from twenty years of age. 



13th. Some trees appear to be badly injured — others very little. The most 

 yigorous trees have escaped the best. 



lith. From 25*^ to 3U'-^ as indicated by different thermometers. 



All which is respectfully submitted. 



T. T. LYON. 



