TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING. 65 



limitations and conditions are all to be taken into the account in an enter- 

 prise that involves both capital and labor. 



Soil, climate, location, access to market, facilities for shipping the fruit, 

 varieties to be planted, the diseases of the tree, and the depredations of 

 insect enemies are in the catalogue of queries to be considered in their 

 bearing upon the success of an enterprise of this kind. These lie at the 

 very foundation of prosperity. A mistake in regard to any one of them 

 may destroy our highest anticipations. 



LOCATION. 



When commercial peach-growing is to be made a specialty, the selection 

 of a suitable location is of the highest importance. If the work is com- 

 bined with the growing of other fruits, a few acres may be found in differ- 

 ent parts of our domain that will be productive a part of the time, and 

 when productive may be exceedingly remunerative. But if a man turns 

 his time, strength, and capital into one channel, he can not afford to work 

 at random. He must have a location that will be highly favorable to the 

 production of fruit. Comparatively small areas or tracts of country have 

 a special advantage in this direction which makes them of superior value. 



Location in this regard includes climate. Extremes of heat and cold 

 during the winter months are often the cause of failure. A temperature 

 low enough to prevent a large development of fruit buds until after the 

 danger of spring frosts is over, is of great advantage. These frosts are 

 the cause of failure in many places otherwise as favorable as could well be 

 desired; and were it not for these untimely frosts, peaches would abound 

 in nearly all latitudes south of the great lakes. 



There are occasional failures in nearly all the so-called peach-belts of 

 our country, and there are choice hill-tops and high lands which produce 

 fruit with sufficient regularity to make the business remunerative. A 

 knowledge of these things is quite essential to an intelligent choice of a 

 desirable location. 



PREPARATION OF THE GROUND. 



A thorough preparation of the ground in advance of planting is very 

 desirable. In many respects a sod turned under late in autumn or in early 

 spring is decidedly preferable. The advantage gained in this way is 

 probably more marked on light soils than on those of a more compact 

 character. The first year in the orchard is always an important one in 

 tree life. A vigorous growth after the roots have been cut and pruned 

 goes far toward overcoming the shock of transplanting. If this beginning 

 of the work is well and properly done, very much is gained in uniformity 

 of growth and productiveness of trees. 



VARIETIES TO BE PLANTED. 



Not all are desirable. Some are worthless, others are not adapted to the 

 soil or the market. We might assume that a fruit, being a peach, is worthy 

 of cultivation, and plant everything grown under this name by nurserymen. 

 This has been so, to the great disadvantage of many growers. But it is 

 the commercial value of the peach that is now under consideration and 

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