PEACH YELLOWS. 239 



In 1883 Joseph Lannin, of South Uaven, vrrites: 



We think we are holdinji; the disease in check by promptly destroying the trees on the 

 first manifestation of the disease. If, however, yeUovvs continues to spread, it will be 

 only a question of years when peach growing will cease on the lake shore. 



In 1888, Mr. Lannin told me he had lost his entire orchard. His neighbors, 

 however, think it might have been saved by a prompt and full compliance 

 with the law. 



Yellows is still present at South Haven, but is no longer a source of alarm. 



Speaking of the advent of yellows Mr. Lyon says: 



The peach interest at that time was already extensive and the trees were free from 

 disease. 



Other South Haven growers testify to the previous freedom of the peach 

 tree from disease. We may therefore conclude that peaches were cultivated 

 at South Haven for a period of at least sixteen years, 1852-'69, unmolested by 

 yellows. 



Yellows first appeared at Lawton, in southeastern Van Buren, in 1878. 

 This village is 30 miles east of Benton Harbor and 25 miles southeast of South 

 Haven. Here, as elsewhere, peach growers being forewarned, were on the 

 watch for the disease and presumably detected it very soon after its appearance. 



Peach growing for commercial purposes began at Lawton in 1860, when N. 

 H. Bitley planted 500 trees. These trees bore their first crop in 1866, soon after 

 which several other orchards were planted. Later occurred a very general plant- 

 ing, so that in 1878, when yellows appeared, there were about 150,000 peach trees 

 in the vicinity of Lawton. 



Hon. C. D. Lawton, of Lawton, writes as follows: 



The first appearance of the yellows here was in 1878. I think it had appeared in Mr. 

 Engle's orchard near Paw Paw [four or five miles distant) the year previous to 1878, 

 but that was the season we first recognized the disease here. Peach trees have grown 

 here since the first settlement of the region. The first orchard for market— 500 trees — 

 was set by Mr. N. H. Bitley in 1858, and it survived and bore finely for twenty years, 

 until destroyed by severe winters and yellows. No finer, healthier peach trees or peach 

 orchards exi^t anywhere than were found here up to a few years ago. We have had 

 several very severe winters, 1884, '85, '86, during which many tree were injured or 

 destroyed. This, added to the ravages of yellows, has caused our peach orchards to 

 look somewhat ragged. 



In the season of 1881 there were shipped from this station upward of 100,000 baskets 

 of peaches, in 1883 perhaps as many, and possibly as many in 1887. 



Up to about 1875 there were not many shippers. Tliere were but few orchards. Still 

 there were some that were proving profitable, and the success of these few induced 

 others to set out trees. Yellows seems to have gi'adually spread here from Benton Harbor. 

 We heard of its appearance in the west part of the county a few years before we 

 discovered it here, and were looking out for it, anticipating its arrival. 



At Lawton peach growing has not been abandoned, although entire 

 orchards have been ruined. 



Yellows does not appear to have worked as disastrously in Van Buren 

 county as in Berrien, owing possibly to the timely and rather strict enforce- 

 ment of the yellows law. This phase of theprobleu will be considered later, 

 under "restrictive legislation." In 1884 the State census credited Van Buren 

 county with 2,181 acres of peach orchard, a small acreage, considering its 

 favorable situation, but enough to show that peaches can still be growu in 

 spite of yellows. In 188S Mr. Lyon says of South Haven, the best peach 

 region in the county, "the acreage planted is largely increasing from year to 

 year." 



At Douglas, Allegan county, yellows appeared in 1873 or 1874, simultane- 

 ously in at least two orchards several miles apart. This village is 17 miles 



