86 



STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



GROWING THE PEACH ORCHARD. 



The principles outlined in the following pages are based upon the 

 experiences of the senior author and his father in producing peaches 

 in Michigan through a corubined period of thirty years. While these 

 principles have proven successful with the conditions experienced by 

 these individuals, several things might require changing in order to 

 suit the circumstances of other growers. It is desirable, therefore, that 

 a brief description of site and soil of the orchards should be given, that 

 methods may be more clearly understood. 



Site and Soil. — This subject and the following one can best be de- 

 scribed by referring to a fifteen acre peach orchard owned by the senior 

 author. The land slopes toward the south and west and for the greater 

 part is gradual. Excellent air drainage is afforded b}^ reason of the 



AN ELEVATION IS DESIRABLE. 



A peach orchard in Grand Traverse County. Fruit buds on the trees in region of X are frequently 

 destroyed by late frosts, while those on trees in region of O are not injured. 



surrounding regions being lower on all sides. There is some variation 

 in the soil, a portion of the higher elevation is clay, but nearly all of 

 the land is a gravelly, sandy loam. In some parts, a clay subsoil is 

 found, but over a large part, the subsoil is sand. The soil requires no 

 tile and is well adapted to growing the usual farm crops of which it 

 has produced profitable yields. 



Previous Condition of the Land. — This land was originally covered 

 with hardwood trees, mostly beech and maple. Since being cleared.* 

 it has raised general farm crops and a portion of the present orchard 

 is the third bearing peach orchard upon the same land. Some stable 

 manure has been added at various times and cover crops have been 

 used quite extensively. It has not always seemed to be advisable to 

 reset a piece of land immediately after removing an old peach orchard, 



