396 Stoic Horticultural Society. 



J. H. HALE ON PEACH CULTURE. 



We know of no one who has had a larger experience along this 

 line than our friend Hale. Mr. Hale has recently written a long ar- 

 ticle on this subject for the Rural New Yorker, and we condense this 

 artice for Green's Fruit Grower as follows : I find my views of peach 

 culture changing, therefore rules which I have laid down need revis- 

 ing. The first essential to successful peach culture is a love for trees, 

 plants and other living things. In order to be successful in peach 

 culture you must take a pleasure in the growth and in the develop- 

 ment of your trees and orchards. You must love peaches because 

 they are so beautiful and good. You must have horse-sense and 

 good judgment generally. 



The soil for a peach orchard is a warm, loamy soil, yet any land 

 except a strong clay will give good results. I used to apply com- 

 mercial fertilizers freely, but have learned that they are not necessary 

 in many instances, providing sufficient culture is given to the orchard. 

 I am reclaiming abandoned farms; clearing up tracts of land covered 

 with brush and other rubbish, and am planting them to peach or- 

 chards, clearing" up the rocks, etc., at considerable expense. It will 

 pay to use a sub-soil plow before planting peach trees except where 

 lands have sandy or gravelly sub-soil. Do not plant the trees until 

 your land is well subdued. 



Plant big trees. I used to think that small sized trees were 

 just as good as big ones, but I have changed my mind. I do not care 

 anything about the shape of the top of peach trees since I cut off 

 the top. I want a good root and a strong cane from fifteen to eigh- 

 teen inches high with the top cut oiT. I have planted peach trees in 

 large orchards thirteen feet apart or closer each way, but generally 

 speaking plant peach trees eighteen to twenty feet apart, since if 

 planted closer together it necessitates much pruning. Give this en- 

 tire field up to the peach trees, planting no other crops in the orchard, 

 and give the orchard thorough cultivation. Harrow and cultivate at 

 least once a week for the three best growing months, June, July and 

 August, during the first two years. After a month or six weeks of 

 good culture sow cow peas over two-thirds of the space between the 

 rows of trees, leaving space for single horse culture up and down each 

 side of the trees for two months more. Leave the pea vines on the 

 ground during the winter months. Fifteen or twenty pounds of 



