FRUIT CULTURE. 41 



forty trees where the black knot appeared and have had no 

 trouble. 



Prof. Maynard, Several questions have been handed 

 in : — 



First, " Peaches were formerly abundant in Massachusetts 

 and all from home-grown trees, while there are very few 

 grown now : what is the reason ? " I think in the early 

 growth of the peach the trees were not budded at all, and I 

 find in many sections of New England the old stock of peach 

 still existing. I found last summer trees forty years old 

 near which were numerous younger trees that had come 

 from the pits. They were of very good quality, — prob- 

 ably similar to the Pratt and the Excelsior, which are rec- 

 ommended as reproducing themselves from seed. It is prob- 

 able that such trees would be more hardy and live longer 

 than those that are budded. The fact that peach trees do 

 not live longer is perhaps to be accounted for from the in- 

 jury produced by borers. Whether the borers were abun- 

 dant in the earlier growth of the peach we do not know ; 

 we have no proof, but it is possible that disease has increased 

 more rapidly of late years and the trees have suffered in 

 consequence. It may be that they have been increased 

 by budding upon Southern stock, or any stock the wood of 

 which is readily susceptible to injury. The fact that they 

 have been budded would perhaps tend to produce weakness 

 throughout the entire tree. 



Second, " Can progress be made by importing seeds or 

 stocks from colder regions?" That has been suggested, but 

 I do not know of any experiments that have been made in 

 the use of such stocks. If we can get varieties like the 

 Pratt and Excelsior, which reproduce themselves from seed, 

 it is desirable to grow them, from the fact that they are so 

 easily grown that any one can produce his own trees. 



Third, " The almond is said to be very free from the yel- 

 lows. Would it make good stock to bud peaches upon?" 

 I do not know that that has been tried at all. It is a mat- 

 ter worthy of experiment, and yet the yellows is not a thing 

 which we need seriously to fear, if we plant upon high land, 

 carefully cultivate, watch our trees and do not let them get 

 weakened. The peach is not a long-lived tree. We can 



