"This disease, which commenced its ravages in New Jersey and
Pennsylvania about the year 1797, and in New York in 1801, and has
spread through several of the states, is by far more destructive to
peach trees than the worm, and is evidently contagious. This disease
is spread at the time when the trees are in bloom, and is disseminated
by the pollen or farina blowing from the flowers of diseased trees,
and impregnating the flowers of those which are healthy, and which
is quickly circulated by the sap through the branches, foliage, and
fruit, causing the fruit, wherever the infection extends, to ripen
prematurely. That this disease is entirely distinct from the worm, is
sufficiently proved by the circumstance, that peach trees which have
been inoculated on plum or almond stocks, though less affected by the
worm, are equally subject to the yellows--and a decisive proof of its
being contagious is, that a healthy tree, inoculated from a branch of
a diseased one, instead of restoring the graft to vigour and health,
immediately becomes itself infected with the disease. As all efforts
totally to subdue it must require a long course of time, the best
method to pursue towards its eventual eradication, is to stop its
progress, and prevent its farther extension--to accomplish which, the
following means are recommended, which have been found particularly
successful.
As soon as a tree is discovered to possess the characteristics of the
disease, which is generally known by the leaves putting on a sickly
yellow appearance--but of which the premature ripening of the fruit is
a decisive proof--it should be marked, so as to be removed the ensuing
autumn, which must be done without fail, for if left again to bloom, it
would impart the disease to many others in its vicinity; care is also
necessary, in its removal, to take out all the roots of the diseased
tree, especially if another is to be planted in the same place, so that
the roots of the tree to be planted may not come in contact with any of
those of the one which was diseased.
If your neighbour has trees infected with the yellows in a quarter
contiguous to yours, it will be necessary to prevail on him to remove
them, that yours may not be injured by them. By being thus particular
in speedily removing such trees as may be infected, the disease is
prevented from extending itself to the rest of the orchard, and the
residue will consequently be preserved in perfect health at the
trifling loss of a few trees annually from a large orchard."
The influence of yellows on the peach-industry of the country is shown
by indicating when it appeared in the various states in which peaches
are grown in eastern America and by noting the effects of epidemics of
the disease.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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