182 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



I first came into the state of Michigan and saw here in Benton Harbor 

 three large steamers standing ready to take away the tons and tons of 

 frnit ; strings of wagons in these streets ; a train of thirty-five cars going 

 out on tlie Big Four loaded with this frnit; then at Grand Rapids — at 

 that time the biggest peach market in the Avorld where 150 car-loads 

 were being shipped out every day — I say when I remember what I saw 

 then and note the change that has taken place since then, I cannot help 

 but emphasize the fact that we are facing a problem here that demands 

 most serious consideration. 



Now when I come into the state of Michigan and drive through the 

 peach belt I will sometimes go ten or fifteen miles and hardly isee 

 an orchard in good condition. I Avas informed a year ago last summer 

 when I spent a day inspecting the orchards around Grand Rapids, that 

 there could hardly be found an old peach orchard of ten years before. 

 You all know the situation in many of the former peach districts. 

 There are some sections along the lake shore that make a very fine 

 showing even yet, but it is certainly astonishing the way the peach 

 orchards have gone out. 



Now let us take up this subject. Since I have spent two mouths or 

 more among you and having made an annual visit to your peach belt in 

 connection with Mr. Horace Welch, I almost feel that I am one of you 

 and so what I am going to say to 3'ou this afternoon will be on the 

 level as one of you. 



What are the troubles? Let us get some idea and some relative weight 

 of these troubles. Here they are as I have been able to think them over. 

 Perhaps I am a little bit rusty, not having been through all of your 

 orchards, but it seems to me that first and foremost is the "winter 

 freeze" injury. That I consider the leading trouble; indeed I almost am 

 willing to say that it is the cause of more of the trouble in the peach 

 belts than all other troubles jmt together. 



The next thing tliat has impressed me is soil poverty, especially humus. 

 The third problem that I consider of importance is the root fungus dis- 

 eases. These are very largely associated with the soil poverty, because 

 on good soils the peach cannot grow these root troubles, but on poor 

 soils is practically impossible to do otherwise. The fourth thing of im- 

 portance I consider to be the ''black peach aphis." That is an insect 

 trouble. Then the fifth is the "yellows." In some individual districts 

 that has been the overAvhelming trouble at times. It did it here long 

 before my day. You will remember that it swept the peach orchards 

 oft" the map here practically before my time; and it came pretty nearly 

 doing that as the "little peach" did recently do it in a section of the 

 peach belt, and especially in some parts of Oceana county. Once when 

 standing on a hill, I counted nine fires where there were big piles of 

 peach trees that were being burned. I rather think this is a debatable 

 question, and I w'ould not be surprised if there would be some dis- 

 cussion on that point, but the reason why I put it down here so low is 

 that it "has been largely under control. 



Poor drainage is another cause of considerable trouble in peach 

 orchards. Many orchards have been planted on land not suitable for 

 peach culture. Corners of the peach orchard have run down into low 

 lands and once in a while a whole orchard has been located on ground 

 too poorly drained and the orchard has not thrived, because a peach will 



