18 THE PEACH 



the adjoining counties, to which we have referred, 

 that peach growing has increased but little in the 

 past twenty years, and that from all the informa- 

 tion we have obtained we have not advanced until 

 lately, towards a settlement of the cause of the fell 

 disease. In coming down to a more recent date we 

 find that it is the old story repeated, and like all 

 other ills and diseases, it keeps pace with the spread 

 and extended settlement of the country. In every 

 direction except toward the South, where its rav- 

 ages have never extended, do we hear of its de- 

 structive influences. Many of the Western States? 

 and especially those bordering on the region of the 

 great lakes, as, for example, Wisconsin and Michi- 

 gan, have gone extensively into peach growing for 

 the purpose of supplying the markets of Chicago, 

 and the other cities and towns of the great North- 

 west, and all complain of the ravages of the ''yel- 

 lows." The Legislature of Michigan has given the 

 peach growers an act to prevent the spread of the 

 disease, compelling the eradication of all trees from 

 the orchard, when they present the first appearance 

 of disease. This plan of ridding the orchards of 

 diseased trees, cuts off its spread by contagion 

 which, as a rule, passes so rapidly over an orchard 

 to the destruction of the healthy trees, and is one 

 of the means for retarding its progress. This spe- 

 cies of legislation is similar to that we have here 

 in Pennsylvania, to prevent the spread of noxious 

 weeds by enforcing the destructiou of the plant be- 



