258 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Should peach yellows sweep away the magnificent orchards of the middle 

 part of the Chesapeake and Delaware peninsula, as it did those of New Castle 

 county, Del., and Berrien county, Mich., the effect, not only on the price of 

 lands, but also on railroad and steamboat traflSc and on the general prosperity 

 of the peninsula, must be very great. Growers whose farms are mortgaged 

 would be financially ruined and life would be harder for every inhabitant. 

 This would be true especially of the poorer classes, many of whom are sup- 

 ported almost entirely by the peach industry. The single item of the carry- 

 ing trade amounts to thousands of dollars annually, as may be seen from the 

 table of shipments by railroads, and this is only one of many items. In a 

 word, the prosperity of nearly every business interest on the peninsula hinges 

 on the peach industry. 



That the peach orchards are really in danger of being destroyed must be 

 apparent to any one conversant with the facts, or to any one who will care- 

 fully examine the data presented in this report. In the celebrated Sassafras 

 river region, and also in all the upper part of Kent county, Del., there will 

 not in five years be a single productive orchard over six years of age if yel- 

 lows continues to spread as rapidly as it has done for the last three years. 

 I have no desire to present a sensational or gloomy view, but I give this as 

 my deliberate judgment, after sixteen months' continuous study ot the sub- 

 ject, with every opportunity to examine peninsular orchards. 



Either of two things may possibly avert this dreaded result: 



(1) The application of some remedy or preventive. 



(2) The disappearance of the virulence of the disease from unknown 

 natural causes. 



In my judgment we are already in possession of knowledge available for a 

 partial suppression of the disease, but, from a wide acquaintance with the 

 peninsular peach growers and some knowledge of human nature, I am in- 

 clined to think it can be reduced to practice only in sections but recently 

 invaded, i. e., toward the lower part of the peninsula. 



CONDITIONS KNOWN OR SUPPOSED TO FAVOR THE DISEASE. 



CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. 



From the foregoing section upon history and distribution, and especially 

 from that part devoted to the early history of the peach in the United States, 

 it must be apparent that portions of this country are well suited to this fruit. 

 Otherwise it never could have gained such an early strong foothold or flour- 

 ished in the open air unprotected as it has done. 



The peach is undoubtedly of Asiatic origin, but neither in China nor on 

 the table-lands of Persia does it appear to be more at home than in parts of 

 the United States; and this might be expected from the fact that we are in 

 the same zone and under climatic conditions not markedly different from 

 those existing in the middle latitudes of Asia. 



From the recent suggestion by Professor Budd, and the earlier one by Dr. 

 Emerson, that yellows may be a disease of non-acclimatization, it is worth 

 while to inquire (1) what constitutes acclimatization? (2) what indicates that 

 Asiatic peaches are hardier than our own? 



It ought not to be difficult to determine whether a cultivated tree takes 

 kindly to a climate. I know no more certain proof than that it makes a 

 vigorous growth, is productive, attains the usual longevity of its species, and 



