FORTIETH ANNUAL REPORT. 131 



Q. Is ihevQ (l;nij>er of carrying- this infection from one tree to an- 

 other through pruning tools? 



Mr. Branian — I don't knoAV about this as my experience is very 

 limited. I would not be surprised if this would 1x3 so. but I am sure 

 you Avould make no mistake and you would be on the safe side if you 

 sterilized your tools. 



Q. Would it not be wise to do it anyway? 



A. Yes, I think it would be a good idea. 



A Member — The trouble with most of our commissioners is they mark 

 what they are certain of and that they know is disease, and they leave 

 a good many trees that have something wrong with them, and in this 

 way lots of trees are carried over that should be taken out. It seems 

 to me that if we could have courage to order them to mark everything 

 that was susjiicious and then replace these trees with good ones, I be- 

 lieve Ave would all have lots better orchards. 



Mr. lira man — There is a point in this, but not many of us have the 

 courage to carrv out our convictions of what we reallv feel and know 

 was for the best. 



Mr. Welch — Years ago wh€n we practiced pruning the trees, growers 

 were careless and part of the peaches on the well side of the tree were 

 picked and the tree left standing until fall. Those that had preferred 

 to leave their trees lying on the ground did so and they were the means 

 of the disease being spread even after the effort to exterminate it was 

 made. There is but one safe method and that is never done as it should 

 be. 



A member— I Avould like to have question number 24 answered. It 

 is: What varieties of peaches are most profitable in this section? Are 

 Ave setting out too many Elbertas? 



Mr. Braman — That depends upon which market you Avant to cater to. 

 I haA'e quite a large percentage of my market at Grand Rapids. I have 

 a large home trade there which requires a succession of varieties — early, 

 medium and late. For carload lots T cater to the Engles, Elbei-tas and 

 (Joldmiues; the latter one lieing the best I haA'c. I didn't think much 

 of it at first, but after giving it a summer spray it has proved to Ite 

 one of the most profitable peaches I have. As to Avhether Ave are set- 

 ting out too many Elbertas, I do not think so. A standard peach like 

 the Elberta Avill not l)e produced in sullicient quantity to glut the 

 market. In other Avords, there Avill ahvays be a demand for it. 



Q. What is that Goldmine peach like? 



A. It is shaped something like the Crosby. They are good bear- 

 ers, hardy and set plenty of buds. 



A member — Regarding the idea of Avhen this disease is spread, I 

 would like to knoAv what the experience of the peach-growers here have 

 been. I haA'e been told by the state officers and others to cut the tree 

 down and destroy it. Several years before I had any yelloAA^s I cut 

 doAvn an affected tree and dragged that tree across the orchard to the 

 side to burn it. The next year or perhaps two years after I could 

 follow the path Avhere I dragged that tree, by YelloAvs. Noav I should 

 like to know Avhether the disease was communicated to those other trees 

 or has it deA'eloped since that time. Noav I chop the tree OA-er and let 

 it lay there until I come through in the fall and then clean up. I haA^e 

 had no more paths. 



