272 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



subsoil remained. Peach trees were set in this sand, and made almost no 

 growth for a number of years, but grew and bore peaches when manured. 

 Ill a rich bottom in the same orchard trees suffered from yellows but none 

 were attacked on the bluff, although the soil was too poor to grow peach 

 trees, or even grass or weeds until it was heavily manured. 



There is a general impression that peach yellows is more destructive in 

 orchards planted on land previously occupied by peach trees. This has been 

 ascribed to improverishmeut of soil. The belief, no doubt, arose from the 

 common observation that in districts long infected and where, so to speak, 

 the disease has become endemic, second plantings decay speedily. In such 

 places I am inclined to think this speedy decay is in some way connected with 

 locality, but do not believe it to be the direct result of impoverished soil. At 

 Odessa, Del., I had good opportunity to observe this. That region was formerly 

 very thickly planted with large peach orchards, which disappeared in the 

 seventies, largely on account of the prevalence of yellows. The more enter- 

 prising farmers set new orchards, and in 18881 had an opportunity to examine 

 them. They are from one to eight years old, and almost without exception 

 those which have been planted over three years are badly diseased; but the 

 orchards set on the site of former orchards do not seem to be worse affected 

 than those set on ground never before iu peaches. One of the worst orchards 

 seen is near the Delaware river, on the farm of E. C Fennimore. The trees 

 are six and eight years old, set on sandy land, clay subsoil, previously occu- 

 pied for sixteen years by the very productive orchard already mentioned. 

 The old orchard suffered badly from yellows toward the end, and was entirely 

 removed in 1874 — seven years before the field was again planted to trees. At 

 the time of my visit Mr. Fennimore was pulling out orchard trees with a span 

 of mules, and I saw large strips from which the trees had been removed in 

 188G and 1887. Many of the trees were badly diseased, and a natural infer- 

 ence was that the previous orchard had exhausted the soil. However, the 

 orchard is not more badly diseased by yellows than Nos. 1, 3, 7, 8, 11 and 17 

 of this report, which are on land never before in peaches ; nor is it worse 

 than others which I have seen in Maryland and Delaware on "unpeached" 

 land. 



Somewhat farther south in Delaware, where the disease is now obtaining a 

 strong foothold, it does not attack orchards on "peached " land any sooner 

 or any more destructively than those on land never before in peaches. I have 

 observed the same fact in Maryland in a number of instances. Some cases 

 may be cited : 



About four-fifths of orchard No. 9 of this report is on land previously occu- 

 pied by a peach orchard, but this portion has not suffered worse than the rest 

 of the orchard. A portion of orchard No. 10 was formerly in peaches, the 

 trees being removed nine years before the present orchard was set. Never- 

 theless, this part of the orchard was not attacked any sooner, and has not 

 suffered more severely than other parts. Two orchards near Still Pond, Md., 

 on " peached " land have suffered much less than Nos. 1 and 2 of this report, 

 although they are not far from the latter. 



Diseased trees also occur in fence rows and by roadsides at a distance from 

 the orchards, near ash-heaps and piles of stable refuse, the drainage of which 

 they have received, and iu gardens, lawns, and city lots. In short, in the 

 badly infected'areas I have found the disease wherever I have found peach 

 trees. In theuniufected areas I have found the disease in none of these situ- 



