1881.] the Peach Tree affected with the “ Yellows.” 855 
HISTORY. 
A few of the statements made above led me at this point to 
consider the history of this disease. 
It is one of the oldest tree diseases on record in this country. 
It seems to have first appeared in the Atlantic States, or near 
that region. It does not seem to have been imported, as therevis 
no record, as far as I can ascertain, of its ever occurring in the 
old world before its presence was detected here; and, moreover, 
the only note that I have noticed of its presence in Europe, 
stated that it was brought from this country in the pits, and the 
trees raised from them showed symptoms of the yellows and 
soon died. 
“ About 1800, or a few years before, attention was attracted in 
the neighborhood of Philadelphia to the sudden decay and death 
of orchards without apparent cause. From Philadelphia and Dela- 
ware the disease gradually extended to New-Jersey, where, in 
1844, it was so prevalent as to destroy a considerable part of all 
the orchards. About three or four years later it appeared on the 
banks of the Hudson (or from 1812 to 1815), gradually and 
slowly extending northward and westward, to the remainder of 
the State. Its progress to Connecticut was taking place at the 
Same time, a few trees here and there showing the disease until 
It became well known (though not yet generally prevalent) — 
throughout most of the warmer parts of New England.” 
Downing continues with many remarks confirming further 
what has been said under the action of the soil and preventives, 
For this reason I shall quote still further from his work: 
“It should be here remarked that, though the disease had 
cen considerably noticed in Maryland and Middle States pre- 
viously, yet it was by no means general until about the close of 
the last war, At this time wheat and other grain crops bore very 
high prices, and the failing fertility of the peach orchard soils of 
those States was suddenly still more lowered by a heavy system 
of cropping between the trees, without returning anything to the 
soil. Still the peach was planted, produced a few heavy crops, 
and declined, from sheer feebleness and want of sustenance. As 
‘ was the custom with many orchardists to raise their own seed- 
ling trees, and as almost all nurserymen gathered the stones 
indiscriminately for stocks, it is evident that the constitutional 
debility of the parent tree would naturally be inherited to a 
Sreater or less degree by the seedlings. Still the system of 
allowing the tree to exhaust itself by heavy and repeated crops in 
. Fruit and Fruit Trees of America,” p- 464. 
Page 464. : 
