No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 391 



then marked out the other way with a barshear plow with furrows 

 20 feet apart setting the plow to run as deeply as possible. The 

 trees are set exactly on the cross mark. Quite a few growers plant 

 closer than 17x20 feet but we have learned that a closer planting 

 it not best. One of my orchards was set 17x20 and another 18x18. 

 We find the 17x20 best. It is convenient to spray and cultivate and 

 later will have plenty of air and sunlight. 



SELECTION OF TREES 



It is quite a problem to know where to get exactly the kind of 

 trees you want, of the right variety, true to name, healthy and vigor- 

 ous. You should know your nurseryman. I prefer a tree 3 to 4 

 feet or an early budded, June bud 3 to 4 feet if it is grown in the 

 Southern states or southern nursery. Examine your trees care- 

 fully before planting to see that they are healthy and of right kind. 

 You cannot always tell about the kind but can almost always dis- 

 tinguish between a white and yellow peach, by the bark. A white 

 peach will have red bark on one side and dark purple on the other, 

 wihle a yellow peach will have a rather bright yellow bark on one 

 side and a reddish-brown on the other. 



VARIETIES 



If you are planting a commercial orchard in Adams county or 

 in Frederick or Washington counties, Maryland, and Avish to have 

 a succession extending over a period of about 60 days I would not 

 select over 8 to 10 varieties. If possible you should have enough 

 of a variety or be able to combine with a neighbor so as to make 

 enough to ship carloads. To do this, if you have 1,000 trees of a 

 variety you can pick over 500 of them on alternate days. You can 

 always do better in selling at home or in shipping if you have car- 

 loads. With only local lots you are at the merely of the commis- 

 sion man unless as suggested before you can co-operate with neigh- 

 bors to load full carloads. I think co-operation is one of the im- 

 portant things for the orchardist. Then if there is a good man at 

 the selling end he can divert the cars after shipping -and place them 

 where they will bring the most money. For a succession I would 

 use Greensboro, Carman, Hiley, Champion, Slappey, Belle Georgia, 

 Captain Ede, Elberta, Late Crawford, Mathews Beauty, Munson 

 Free, Fox Seedling, Geary's Holden, Klondyke, Salway and Iron 

 Mountain. Salway does well high up on the mountain slopes where 

 it does not mildew. Do not plant September peaches below 750 

 feet elevation if you wish success. 



PRUNING 



Before planting I trim the roots that are broken and cut back 

 those that are very long so as to make them uniform, always being 

 careful to make the cut slanting on the under side of the root so 

 that the cut surface Avill come into contact with the bottom of the 

 furrow. It will callous over more readily and soon send out small 

 feeding roots. If trees are planted in the Fall we do not trim 



