AND ITS DISEASE. 19 



fore it matures its seed, the one plan removing the 

 source of complaint through the destruction of the 

 seed, and the other attaining the same object, if 

 fungi is the cause of the spread of the disease. 

 Some of our leading pomologists have from time to 

 ^ime, indulged in the notion that the " yellows " has 

 had its day, and as late as the year 1873, one of the 

 most prominent, in an address, informed us "that 

 he was happy to say that the "yellows" is almost 

 a thing of the past, and in many sections of our 

 State (Pennsylvania), where the scourge held undis- 

 puted sway but a few short years ago, to-day can 

 be seen healthy, thriving orchards, and consequent- 

 ly annual crops of delicious fruit. What is there 

 in the season just passed to make it a marked epoch 

 in the history of fruit culture ? Is it not owing in 

 a great measure to the peculiar temperature and 

 possible lack of humidity in the atmosphere ?" 



These apparent cessations and almost entire dis- 

 appearance of the disease in certain districts, for 

 short periods of dry seasons are but mere tempo- 

 rary lulls in the ravages of the disease from sus- 

 pended infectious malaria, inspiring the hope that 

 in a short time it would become one of the "things 

 of the past," but a returning season or two of fa- 

 vorable influences for the propagation of the dis- 

 ease, and all hope is dispelled by its renewed viru- 

 lence. These appearances were noted in 1807, by 

 that noted fruit grower especially of the Peach 

 to whom I have already referred, Judge Peters, of 



