THE CANADIAN IIOIITICULTUKIST. 



" One tiling is certain," said I, " we need to look carefully after 



our peach orcharcls, or the yellows will destroy them. In August last 



I found three Early Purple trees, one Crawford and one Old Mixon 



^•L'aring- spotted fruit, which ripened prematurely, and I had them cut 



lown and burned up at once, fruit and all." 



" I did the same," said Diligens, " with three or four in my orchard, 

 thougli they were among the very finest and largest trees I had, and 

 were loaded with fruit. I did not believe it wise or honest to ship it." 



'* Pshaw!" said Negligens, " I have had the yellows in my orchard 

 two or three years. The first case of yellows in this section was on 

 my place. I bought the trees from a Yankee peddler. It does not 

 trouble me very much. I ha\e never cut down one tree, and what's 

 more, I don't intend to." 



We looked at him in surprise, and said, " You will rue it, then, for 

 it will take every tree in your orchard." 



" Guess not," said he. "Anyway, I might as well lose them one 

 way as another. To tell the plain truth, I have made more money out 

 of my diseased fruit than I have out of my sound fruit. I got it so 

 early, and it is so finely colored, that it sells like hot cakes in the 

 market for a fine big price." 



We asked him how many diseased trees he had in his orchard. 



" Well, I don't know exactly," was the reply. " Every year there 

 is a few fresh ones, and if I ever begin cutting, as you have done, I am 

 sure I do not see where it would end." 



We told him that anyway he ought to cut them out for the sake 

 of his neighbors' orchards ; it was worse than letting a field of Canada 

 thistles shower their seeds uppn a neighbor's field ; it was doing a 

 greater injury. 



" You can't make me out iheia out" said Negligens, " and I won't 

 do it either, until they die out. I have bought them, and I mean to 

 have my money out of them before I destroy them." And so he 

 passed on. 



We consulted together, and wished that there was a law in our 

 country similar to that which we are informed exists in the State of 

 Michigan, by which delinquents like this man might be compelled to 

 cut down and burn up peach trees which are known to be diseased ; 

 and we thought that both growers and consumers of the peach would 

 be benefitted by such a law. 



