DISCUSSIONS AT SOUTH HAVEN. 363 



Mr. A. S. Dyckman said there was a gentleman at Strafford, Mich., who had 

 a peach orchard on very high ground on which he had peaches every year, 

 while in the country around they could not raise them. Also a gentleman at 

 Bristol, Ind., had a peach orchard on an elevated site where he had regular 



crops. 



The nndersigned mentioned a location near Fort Recovery, Ohio, where 

 peaches were raised on a very high mound or hill, while they could not raise 

 them in the immediate vicinity of the general level. 



Mr. J. Williams stated that he had lost several trees on high sandy ground^ 

 among which he had grown a crop of carrots. His theory was that most of 

 the peach trees which were dying and which had started to grow, were killed 

 by the cold, backward, spring. Long continued cold, damp weather with a 

 few very warm days intervening, produced a poisonous fermentation. This 

 was indicated by their dying from the roots up, and their sour offensive smell. 

 Some on dry soil were probably injured last summer by the bark blight, caused 

 by excessive heat and drouth. He had trees die in this way in the spring after 

 a very mild winter. 



Mr. B. F. Hunt stated that he found some of his trees to be injured before it 

 was warm enough for them to ferment. 



Mr. D. C. Loveday stated that Mr. Shoemaker had lost some trees among 

 which he had raised a crop of potatoes, and digging them started a late growth 

 in the trees. 



Mr. H. E. Bidwell remarked in regard to the injured trees smelling sour, that 

 trees dying slowly would have this smell. 



Mr. C. H. Wigglesworth said he lost some trees where, after the ground was 

 frozen the water gathered nearly a foot deep ; also some on dry sandy ground, 

 which were cultivated very late, and he laid the injury to that. He had trees 

 right on the bank of the lake where the snow all blew off, and exposed to the 

 strongest winds, set out last spring, which ^vere uninjured. They were on 

 clay subsoil. 



Mr. D. B. Williams said he had trees one, two, and three years old, on low 

 flat land which were not injured. He found very few curculios or cut-worms. 

 Elevated ground was the place to set peach trees. In riding through the 

 country in the morning and evening, a mist could be observed and a chill 

 experienced in the hollows, while on the higher ground it was dry and warm. 

 The injury from severe frosts could sometimes be noticed up to a certain line 

 on trees, and above that no hurt. 



Mr. A. J. Pierce said he did not find as many curculios or cut-worms as last 

 year. He hilled up around the trees to keep out the borer, before fixing the 

 curculio traps, flattening the hills for this purpose. 



Mr. D. B. William said when the wind had blown his trees over crooked, he 

 dug away on the windward side, and straightened them back, so replacing the 

 roots in a proper position. 



Mr. 0. C. Lathrop had just returned from Northern Illinois. He reported 

 apple and cherry trees looking well, and noticed from the cars some vineyards 

 on hill-sides with southeast exposure that looked well. He was told by men 

 living at Centralia that peaches and pears were all killed about there, and the 

 peach trees killed and stubbed down. They would have no fruit but apples 

 and strawberries, — blackberries and raspberries being killed. At Cobden they 

 would have a few peaches of the hardiest varieties, but only a "drop in the 

 bucket " to what they generally raised. He had fifty trees killed out of seven 



