In 1887, Doctor Peter was made Emeritus Professor of Chemistry in the State College. It would be of interest to give a detailed account of Doctor Peter's writings, but this must of necessity be reserved for a more extended biography. He was an easy, practical, and prolific writer on a large range of subjects. Deeply interested in agriculture and horticulture, he prepared many able treatises for journals of these branches. He experimented for himself in the culture of fruits and flowers--notably in grape-culture and wine-making. In 1867-68, he assisted in editing the _Farmer's Home Journal_, a weekly published at Lexington, Kentucky, and until its discontinuance--well in the seventies--he contributed many articles. He was sole editor of the tenth volume of the _Transylvania Journal of Medicine_, and in the preceding and following volumes published a number of contributions on medical and scientific themes. He took an active part with his pen in the controversy which arose on the attempted removal to Louisville of the Transylvania Medical School by some of the Transylvania professors and the establishment at Louisville of the "Medical Institute" as a rival school.[78] Like Doctor B. W. Dudley, Doctor Peter, under a misapprehension of the facts, was at first inclined to sanction the removal of the medical school to Louisville, for he says in a "Narrative" of the controversy published in the _Lexington Intelligencer_, July 7, 1837: "I was in favor of the removal of the Transylvania Medical School when I believed it was to be done with the consent of its legal guardians, and with the certainty of very liberal endowments, which would increase its means of instruction; but when the bubble burst--when it was found that the name of Transylvania, the oath of office--_principle_, in fact, were all to be sacrificed to the splendid scheme--I drew back." And from listening to Doctor Caldwell's flattering offers of emoluments in Louisville--even to the promise that Doctor Peter should have the superintendence of the erection of the chemical laboratory--he joined Dudley in maintaining the Transylvania School at Lexington, vigorously defending Dudley, and himself also, against the attacks of the Caldwell faction. In the midst of the general hostility, Doctor Peter became antagonistic to his former friend, Doctor Yandell--indeed, bitter was the strife on all hands. But in after years, when the better part of half a century had rolled between, Doctor Peter, on the friendly advance of Doctor Yandell, forgot the vindictive feeling of the past and a correspondence both pleasant and profitable sprung up between the two old men, which was maintained until the death of Doctor Yandell. Doctor Yandell confessed that in the heat of contention he had said much which afterward he fain would recall. And it is readily to be credited that others felt the same when time was given for calm and dispassionate reflection.