GENERAL HISTORY. 23 



that prompt removal and destruction of diseased trees is the only trust- 

 worthy remedy. In pursuance of this conviction the peach growers of Van 

 Buren, Allegan and Ottawa counties joined in a petition to the Legislature 

 of 1874-5, accompanied by a bill, the scope of which is indicated by its first 

 section, which reads as follows: — 



Section" 1. The People of the State of Michigan enact. That any and all 

 trees in the counties of Allegan, Van Buren and Ottawa, whether peach, 

 almond, apricot or nectarine, infected with the contagious disease known as 

 the yellows, shall be held to be without pecuniary value, and the fruit unfit 

 for use as food, and that as the best known means of preventing the spread 

 of such disease, both tree and fruit so infected shall be subject to destruction 

 as public nuisances. 



The act consisted of twelve sections. It was given immediate effect and 

 received the Governor's approval May 1, 1875. 



The act was exceedingly simple and direct, but there were objections raised 

 against it, and a subsequent Legislature was asked to revise and modify it, 

 with the result that its conditions were rendered so tedious and diificult of 

 execution that it has almost, if not altogether, become a dead letter upon the 

 statute book. With the revision it was made to apply throughout the State. 



Many years since, while the Michigan Farmer was yet a monthly, Mr. B, 

 Hathaway contributed to its columns a series of controversial articles in which 

 he objected to the use of root-grafts as stock on which to topgraf t other vari- 

 eties. Subsequently, in the Keport of the State Board of Agriculture for 

 1871, he says, in the course of a contribution to its pages: 



" The propagation of a uniform class of stocks from some one of our most 

 hardy and free-growing varieties, to be re-grafted, at a suitable age, with the 

 desired kinds, has for its commendation, not only the endorsement of our 

 leading horticulturists, but has demonstrated in practice that it has advan- 

 tages, especially for a great number of our most popular sorts, that will ulti- 

 mately insure attention. In my own nursery I am using the Northern Spy 

 extensively and, for this latitude, I think it, all in all, the best variety for 

 this purpose we have." 



Further on, in the same article he remarks : — 



" The best lands in the State for fruit of all kinds, excepting possibly 

 peaches, are our hilly, strong, gravelly soils, such as have a natural drainage, 

 both on their surface and in their composition." 



Although something had previously been known respecting the special 

 adaptation of the easterly shore of Lake Michigan to the growth of peaches 

 and other tender fruits, the first event that drew public public attention prom- 

 inently to the matter was the planting of the extensive commercial orchards 

 of George Parmelee, who, in 1847, became convinced of the importance of 

 the protection afforded by the unfrozen waters of Lake Michigan, purchased 

 and settled upon one hundred and sixty-three acres of land a little north of 

 Benton Harbor, and the next spring cleared, fenced and planted two and a 

 half acres of orchard. This beginning he followed up as rapidly as possible 

 till he had ninety-eight acres under orchard, mostly peaches, which he was 

 compelled to protect by a fence high enough to shut out deer, to prevent 

 them from tearing the trees with their horns. 



In the spring of 1850 he planted the first Crawfords in the peach belt, 

 grown by him from four trees purchased in dormant bud at Cleveland and 

 Buffalo upon their first introduction there. 



