26 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



to renew the older ones." This writer of fifty years' experience 

 thinks excessive moisture is the cause of the yellows. 



All writers about this time mention a wasp that does a great deal 

 of harm, and which proves to be the parent of the borer. A book 

 published in 1797 mentions thirty-one sorts of peaches. A writer 

 says the one called the Kare Ripe is about the only one worth cul- 

 tivating, and within thirty years that had greatly deteriorated. He 

 suggests if they were renewed by planting trees or stones from some 

 other countries it would be well. 



In 1803 some of the growers near Philadelphia recommended 

 cutting back so as to make new heads with good success. Another 

 writer says, "Be careful and not injure the roots. Do not use too 

 much barnyard manure. Plant on high ground and on the north 

 side of the slope." INIention is made of severe frosts every few 

 years killing the buds in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. 



In 1800 a writer from Leverett, Mass., recommends planting 

 on sandy soil, bordering toward gravel, on the north to west slopes. 

 He says, "After a few crops, cut back so as to renew the top and 

 they will bear good crops." Another writer in 1822 says, "We are 

 utterly destitute of nurseries or places, from Boston to Albany, to 

 get trees or plants for our gardens." He goes on to state that he 

 could only get wild strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, or whortle- 

 berries from the farmers. 



Still another tells of his visits to his grandfather's place where 

 trees and the ground were covered with peaches and the little trees 

 were coming up so thick they had to be thinned out. Another one 

 that visited his grandfather's place once a year, about peach time, 

 remembered one tree at the corner of the house and what luscious 

 peaches that tree bore. A few days ago a lady spoke to me of the 

 luscious peaches of her girlhood days. I inquired how" many years 

 they had them, but she could not tell. The tree died about the 

 time she married and there was no one interested enough to plant 

 more. 



I mention these facts to show that for the past hundred years or 

 more there has been trouble in growing peaches, not only in New 

 England, but in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and 

 that the peach is a short-lived tree and should be set out every few 

 years, and that the reason of their doing well in New England was 



