126 THE PEACHES OF NEW YORK 



in the peach-belt of western Michigan. The history of the disease is well 

 established in this region, the main facts being: The disease appeared 

 about Saint Joseph and Benton Harbor, Berrien County, in the late sixties 

 of the last centiory. At first spreading slowly, its movement became more 

 rapid " until by 1877-78 it was destructively prevalent in nearly every 

 orchard in the county." ^ " The peach industry was literally swept out 

 of Berrien Cotmty in one decade. There can be no doubt of this. From 

 being the foremost peach county in Michigan, with an acreage more than 

 equal to that of all other counties combined (6000 acres in 1874), it became 

 ninth in order, and could boast of only 503 acres." ^ In 1877, T. T. Lyon 

 declares: ' " This violent and contagious disease has nearly destroyed the 

 peach orchards at Saint Joseph." Three years later in the annual report 

 of the State Pomological Society, Charles W. Garfield, secretary, says " there 

 are scarcely any peach orchards left at Saint Joseph." ^ The depreciation 

 of peach-lands at this time, due to yellows, was so great as to threaten the 

 commtmity with bankruptcy. 



Pitiful was the case of the growers in Berrien County; pitiful enough 

 that of those in Van Biu-en County, next on the north, but not so bad owing 

 to the timely and strict enforcement of a " yellows law " early passed by 

 the State legislature. The disease seems to have become established in 

 Van Buren County about 1870 but did not become rampant until fotir or 

 five years later " when about five per cent of the trees were found diseased 

 and were taken out." * Then came such reports as these: " At least 5,000 

 trees have been destroyed by this disease the past season in this county 

 alone." ^ " That dreaded ravage of the peach-grower, yellows, has made 

 slow but marked progress during the years in this locality." '' "If the 

 yellows continues to spread, it will be only a question of years when peach- 

 growing will cease on the lake shore." ^ These three reports, out of many 

 such, give the condition of the peach-orchards in western Van Buren. 

 In the eastern part of the county, especially about Lawton where the peach 

 is largely grown, the disease was later in appearing, cutting out was more 

 strictly attended to, and the damage, therefore, was markedly less. 



1 Smith, Erwin F. U. S. D. A. Dw. of Bot. Bui. 9:42. 1888. 



« Ibid. 45. 



^ Cult. &f Count. Gent. 765. 1877. 



* Ibid. 275. 



' Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 274. 1880. 



« Gulley, A. G. Mich. Hort. .Soc. Rpt. 249. 1878. 



' Ramsdell, J. G. Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 306. 1882. 



' Lannin, Joseph Mich. Hort. Soc. Rpt. 11. 1884. 



