130 AgriGuUural Gazette of N.S.W. [Feb. 2, 1920. 



Stocks. 

 The peach as a rule prefers a peach stock, and this we recommend for 

 general use. The peach has an affinity, of course, for the plum, apricot or 

 almond, but as it is claimed that the peach is the parent of the plum, apricot 

 and almond, it is reversing the order of affairs to use any of the latter as a 

 stock. 



Laying out the Peach Orchard. 



Before laying out the orchard, it is always a good plan to figure out how 

 the trees can be arranged in planting to use the ground to the best advantage. 



The whole subject of laying out an orchard is discussed in a 2)ublication 

 now in the printer's hands, but the most widely adopted plan is the square 

 system, although some planters favour the hexagonal. 



It is appropriate to mention here that it is a mistake to plant trees too 

 close together, as they rob each other of plant-food, and during dry years 

 •of moisture also. The latter consideration is an important one, which 

 should not be lost sight of where irrigation cannot be practised. Peach 

 trees are generally planted from 20 to 22 feet apart. The former distance 

 gives 109 trees to the acre and the latter 90 trees to the acre by the square 

 system. With the hexagonal, we get 125 trees to the acre when planted 

 20 feet apart, and 104 when planted 22 feet apart. For peaches, however, 

 we prefer the trees planted on the square, and 20 feet apart. 



Cultivation. 



In the drier districts of the State the rainfall is not sufficient to give the 

 liest results with peach trees, unless man's industry aids the trees to obtain 

 greater supplies of moisture than nature provides. This disadvantage is 

 compensated by the great suitability of our warm, dry atmosphere to the 

 production of fine, deliciously flavoured fruit. The latter consideration 

 should induce us to devise and apply every means in our power to supply 

 moisture, as this is practically the only respect in which our central- western 

 lands fall short of being ideal peach country. 



Irrigation is the time-honoured method of making good any deficiency in 

 moisture. Where this is not practised, growers or prospective growers should 

 realise the great value of cultivation as a means of storing moisture in the 

 •soil. Experiments have shown that, generally speaking, half the rainfall 

 can be stored in the lower layers of the soil by continuous cultivation, and 

 though such statements are usually made in reference to wheat, it is 

 apparent they are just as applicable — perhaps more so— to the cultivation 

 of fruit in our drier districts. It is, unfortunately, too common to see 

 ])each and other fruit trees struggling amongst a mass of weeds. These 

 •come u|) in the si)ring, fed by the manure applied or by the natural fertilitv 

 of the soil, and they draw moisture from the earth and transpire it into 

 the atmosphere through their leaves. A number of growers are not vet 

 convinced that the benefits resulting from continuous cultivation during 

 .spring and summer are sufficient to justify the labour, but they must 



