34 THE CONNECTICUT POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



shown unfavorable symptoms as indicated by leaf fall, gum- 

 mosis of the trunks, yellows or "so-called yellows," etc. It 

 seems to me important that we do not confuse, or at least lose 

 sight of, the primary cause, viz., winter injury, with the possible 

 secondary cause's which alone might not have been able to have 

 had any important effect on the trees. 



Aside from such troubles as leaf fall, etc., however, peach 

 trees during the past year have had more than the normal 

 amount of yellows, as compared with the last few years. Like- 

 wise late in the fall many of the trees, both in the nurseries 

 and in young orchards, apparently in no wise showing any 

 very evident v/inter injury, have developed unusual symp- 

 toms that some persons believe are the first indications 

 of the developments of yellows. Pruning of these young" 

 orchards this winter has shown that many of the young 

 branches are dead, or in not very good condition. The 

 chief manifestation of the trouble so far was the prema- 

 ture development of the axillary and even of adventi- 

 tious buds last fall. As this is one of the symptoms of 

 yellows, this has led some to believe that we are on the 

 verge of another wide-spread wave of yellows. Others 

 think that possibly this condition was only an outcome of 

 the very dry summer, the moist fall merely starting a 

 premature growth of the buds which otherwise would have 

 remained dormant if the season had been a normal one. 

 Personally I am not prepared to give a positive opinion, 

 though 1 do not think the latter is without reason. I am 

 even willing to go a little further and state that if this 

 trouble really does develop into an extended outbreak of 

 yellows. I see no reason why there is not some connection 

 between yellows and unfavorable weather conditions, es- 

 pecially severe winters and dry summers. This, howev.er, 

 is apparently not in accord with the beliefs of many of the 

 experts on yellows. The cause, exact nature, and preven- 

 tion of yellows, however, are subjects that experts are not 

 fully informed upon. So far as I have been able to learn 

 our positive information concerning yellows is limited to 

 three chief facts, viz.: (1) That yellows can definitely be 



