362 Bulletin 74. 



thin the fruit ; and the fourth is carelessness and untidiness in 

 marketing. There are many orchards in western New York 

 which receive every care and attention, but by far the greater 

 number are neglected in one or many respects. I have attempted, 

 during the past summer, to examine carefully every peach dis- 

 trict in the Fifth Judicial Department, and I shall here attempt to 

 set down what appear to be the chief defects in our peach industry. 



Locations and soils for peaches. — There is much territory in 

 western New York which is admirably adapted to peach growing, 

 but which is now used for other purposes. The slopes adjoining 

 the interior lakes are, no doubt, capable of great development in 

 this direction, for here the severities of winter are»tempered and 

 serious late spring frosts are infrequent. The industry could be 

 extended to several times its present dimensions in the Niagara- 

 Ontario district ; and the higher and looser lands in some interior 

 sections are well adapted to the peach. The Chautauqua district, 

 lying against the eastern end of Lake Erie and now given over 

 very largely to the growing of grapes, is also, no doubt, naturally 

 well suited to peach raising. A conservative estimate would 

 place the lands of western New York which are well adapted to 

 the peach at 60,000 acres. 



On the other hand, many of the peach orchards of western New 

 York are planted upon land which is wholly unsuited to them, 

 such as heavy clay soils, or low lands which have very imperfect 

 drainage of both water and air. The ideal peach soil is a deep sand. 

 Upon such lands the trees make a hard growth, the wood matures 

 early, the trees bear young and the fruit is highly colored and 

 flavored. The regions which have become most famous as 

 peach growing centers are those of a sandy formation, as the 

 lands of many parts of the south, of Delaware and New Jersey, 

 and of the " peach belt " on the eastern shore of I^ake Michigan. 

 Some of the best peach orchards which I know are upon lands 

 which were once thought to be worthless ; and the one shown in 

 Fig. 3 stands on sand which, before the orchard was set, was so 

 loose that it drifted in the wind. Warm sandy lands abound along 

 the Ontario shore, and it is upon them that the peach orchards 

 of that region are giving the best returns. Yet, peaches will 

 thrive upon heavier lands, even upon clay ; but they are rarely 



