66 State Horticultural Society. 



ill which ease the trees should be phiiited fifteen feet apart each way, or 

 even twelve bv fifteen feet. Trees should be selected which are free 

 from fungi and injurious insects. Orchards planted with trees infested 

 by borers, scale insects, or root aphis, are sure to g'iye trouble. It is 

 best to ayoid trees growing in regions infested with "]ieach yellows" or 

 "peach rosette." It is better to pay twice the yalue for a healthy tree 

 than to accept a diseased one as a gift. 



The proper selection of varieties is a matter of ,no little importance. 

 There arc no varieties that will succeed in all localities and for all pur- 

 poses, so we must select certain varieties that are adapted to our par- 

 ticular locality and to our jmrpose. Some good varieties are apt to be 

 winter killed or caught in bloom In- the late spring frosts, if planted 

 too far north; some are light bearers, and most of our early varieties as 

 Arkansas Traveler, Alexander, and Amsden, are very susceptible 

 to mildew and brown rot. Some will not bear long shipment, while 

 our best shippers, such as Elberta, are very inferior in fla\'or. If we 

 wish to select for commercial purposes, we should try to combine as 

 many good points as possible. AVe must select hardy, productive trees, 

 bearing fruit of large and even size with fine color and good flavor, and 

 firnl enough to stand long shipment. In general it is best to plant the 

 old and well-tried A^arieties. For south Missouri I consider the Elberta 

 the best market peach, witli several other good varieties closely follow- 

 ing. 



The orchard, after planting, should be cultivated as thoroughly as 

 any other farm crop. Some cultivated crop, as corn or tomatoes, should 

 be grown between the trees for the first two or three years, and this 

 should be well fertilized if the soil is not very strong. Small grain crops 

 should never be grown in the orchard, and after the trees come into bear- 

 ing, no crop should be grown between them except clover or cow peas 

 as a fertilizer. Cultivation should cease after the last of «Iuly so as to 

 give the new growth plenty of time to ripen and harden for the coming 

 winter, as much disease and damage is caused by the wood being about 

 half matured when caught by the sevcM'e freezes (»f winter. Deep plow- 

 ing should always be avoided, as the feeding roots are always near the 

 surface and more damage is done by the plow in tearing them up, than 



