Pntifs and Culture. 389 



on trees affected with the yellow ripens prematurely and par- 

 takes of the disagreeable bitter found in the bark of the tree, and al- 

 though looking nice and very tempting it is unfit for use. This disease 

 is rarely found in the Western States, and we have every reason to be- 

 lieve that most of the peach orchards on the virgin soil of this section will 

 prove immune to this much dreaded disease for a generation to come. 



We meet the objection in the West that the trees are occasionall}' 

 damaged and sometimes killed by the winter, but we must remember that 

 the peach tree is of a very quick growth and comparatively short dura- 

 tion in all countries, and as they can be grown so very cheaply, quickly 

 and easily, bear so young and so abundantly, that we should not be de- 

 terred in the least from planting them on account of shortness of life, 

 but rather plant them more liberally and constantly from year to year, 

 that we may have young orchards coming into bearing as old ones pass 

 away, the wood of which makes good fuel and will pay well for clearing 

 the land. It is rarely that we ever have a winter that does serious dam- 

 age to any great number of peach trees in the West. The winter of 

 1898-9 was the worst, perhaps, in the history of the country and may not 

 occur again in fifty years. Millions of trees were damaged and mar.}' 

 killed outright, even in some of the noted peach centers, but the growers 

 (be it said to their credit) went to work at once to repair the damage 

 done by cutting back those that were damaged and grubbing up those 

 that were killed and replanting, or by planting new orchards on new 

 clean land. 



Some object to growing peaches extensively for the reason, as they 

 say, that we have not a sufiicient market near by to quickly use up a 

 large quantity of such tender and perishable fruit, but let us remember 

 that in the Mississippi Valley is just where we have the large cities, 

 thrifty towns, a dense farm population all over the country, and last, 

 but not least, the wealth to make the best market in the world. 



On a tour to California last fall we spent two days a.t Grand Junc- 

 tion, Colo., which has become quite a fruit center, having, as we were in- 

 formed, shipped 75 car loads of peaches last year. In conversation with 

 one of the growers we were informed that they grew them on land tliat 

 cost $2GO an acre and had to be irrigated, that they picked them careful- 

 ly, wrapped in tissue paper, packed in 20-pound boxes, hauled them 30 

 to 40 miles to railroad, and paid $500 freight per car to Missouri river 

 points ! This gentleman further stated that the}^ did not get a crop ever), 

 year, that their trees were badly damaged with the winter of 1898-9, and 

 that some years after paying the charges they had but little left, but on 

 the average they found it a paying business. Permit me to ask, anout 

 how many Missourians could be found that would engage in peach grow- 



