250 THE PEACH. 



the author's knowledge extends, seem to be confined at the 

 present time to the Northern and Eastern States, and some 

 portions of the West — the fine peach growing sections of the 

 South and Southwest being nearly exempt from this formid- 

 able malady. It belongs exclusively to this country, r>nd 

 originated below Philadelphia about the first of the present 

 century. For near an hundred years after the tree was in- 

 troduced into this country from Europe, it was cultivated (or 

 rather planted) in Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey, and 

 was, during all that time entirely free from all diseases, and 

 the fruit was raised in the greatest abundance with but little 

 culture or care, and was propagated principally from seeds. 

 The fresh and rich virgin soils of those States, at this period, 

 being eminently adapted to its growth and perfection. Most 

 of these soils, however, were light and sandy, and the cultiva- 

 tion of cereal crops was continuous and exhaustive, and in a 

 majority of cases, without the least attention to the improve- 

 ment of the soil, or rotation of "crops, or, even an effort to 

 sustain the fertility of the soil. Previous to this time, the 

 peach tree, which was mostly allowed to have the exclusive 

 benefit of the soil on which it stood became, by constant and 

 close culture of other crops, in a manner starved out. The 

 trees became enfeebled — the seeds imperfect — producing more 

 weakly trees from generation to generation, until at last, about 

 the year 1814, this destructive disease became so prevalent as 

 .to destroy whole orchards in the neighborhood of Philadel- 

 phia and surrounding country. 



The disease was first noticed about the year 1800. The 

 tree, when in good condition, always productive to excess, 

 began to decline. The impoverished soil was no longer able 

 to sustain healthy growth; the energies of the tree fast de- 

 clined, and it b< came every year more enfeebled and subject 

 to disease and decay. The progress of the disease was now 

 constant and speedy wherever it had been cultivated in the 

 Northern States, induced, it is supposed, by the farmers taking 

 up the idea that the fruit south of them was the best ; pro- 

 curing imperfect and diseased geeds from the Philadelphia and 

 other markets tainted with the disease. Northwestward, to 



