
          106

"Bacteria as a cause of Disease in Plants"- Am. Naturalist, 1881,
p. 531.

The condition of peach growing in Middle and S. New Castle
Co., and upper Kent, 27 years ago is very pleasantly set forth in a
popular article by Wm. C. Lodge, Harpers Magazine, 1870, pp. 511-18,
from which I quote the following paragraphs as a contrast to present conditions:--

"We leave the city of Wilmington ** and proceed directly to Delaware
city, 20 miles south of the Pennsylvania line.

"Here we enter the peach region, and find a light, loamy soil,
free from field stone and gravel.

"We first call at the mansion of the late Peach King, Major
Philip Reybold. ** From the observatory on the mansion we overlook
the Delaware River and the bay for many miles; orchards of different
fruits cover a large proportion of the surrounding country, and
a vineyard, not far away, is loaded with purple clusters.

"Half a century since this whole neighborhood was an uninclosed [unenclosed]
wilderness, deemed unfit for agricultural purposes.  The Major
purchased a large tract, at a price almost nominal, gathered all the
laboring force he could command, broke up the ground, fertilized
it by a clover sward, and cultivated them for a couple of years,
when they commenced bearing their great crops.

"The peaches were first sent to the Philadelphia market in
sail boats, but all the small boats that could be procured were
unequal to the transportation in the second year of bearing.

        