38 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



THE YELLOWS. 



BY A. J. DOWNING, IN 1845, AS PUBLISHED IN DOWNING'S FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES OF 



AMERICA. 



Newbueg, New Yore, April 24, 1873. 



J. P. Thompson^, — You are at liberty to publish any thing you wish in rela- 

 tion to the peach, in Downing's new edition, but you will see by a foot-note 

 that I do not agree with my brother and many others, that a thrifty, healthy 

 tree will not take the Yellows, because I have known of many of the most vig- 

 orous and healthy trees to take it and die; and not only once, but at various 

 times. 



I dd not mean to say, however, that they will take it as readily as those that 

 are not vigorous or weakened by overbearing and poor cultivation. 



The only remedy that I know of, or rather a preventive, is to go over the 

 orchard in August, or when they are in bearing, and remove those that show 

 the least sign of the disease, or, mark them to be taken out at leisure, or before 

 winter sets in. 



My experience here is — 1 do not know how it is elsewhere — that the disease 

 comes periodically of about 15 to 20 years, and continues three or four years, 

 or longer, if means are not used to stop it. 



It is a singular disease, and as yet, has not been satisfactorily accounted for. 

 They do not have it in Europe, neither south of the Potomac in this country, 

 that I am aware of, and yet trees at the south overbear and are neglected as 

 well as at the north and west. I recollect many years since a friend of mine, 

 who believed the disease was in the stock only, imported 100 trees from France, 

 but in two years one-third had the Yellows, and the remainder died with it the 

 third or fourth year. 



With care and attention much can be done to eradicate the disease. 



Wishing you success in your undertaking, I remain 



Very respectfully, 



CEAS. DOWNING. 



THE YELLOWS. 



This most serious malady seems to belong exclusively to this country, and 

 to attack only the peach-tree. Although it has been the greatest enemy of the 

 peach-planter for the last thirty years, — rendering the life of the tree uncertain, 

 and frequently spreading over and destroying the orchards of whole districts, — 

 still little is known of its nature, and nothing with certainty of its cause. 

 Many slight observers have confounded it with the etfects of the peach-borer, 

 but all persons who have carefully examined it knoAV that the two are totally 

 distinct. Trees may frequently be attacked by both the Yellows and the borer, 

 but hundreds die erf the Yellows when the most minute inspection of the roots 

 and branches can discover no insect or visible cause. Still we believe proper 

 cultivation will entirely rid our gardens and orchards of this malady ; and this 

 belief is in part borne out by experiments under our own inspection. In order 

 to combat it successfully, it is necessary that the symptoms should be clearly 

 understood. 



SYMPTOMS. 



The Yellows appear to be a constitutional disease, no external cause having 

 yet been assigned for it. Its infallible symptoms are the following : — 



1. The production upon the branches of very slender, wiry shoots, a few 

 inches long, and bearing starved diminutive leaves. These shoots are not pro- 



