502 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The importance that the growing of fruit in Michigan has assumed for the last few 

 years, with the fact that I have been interested in it for several years, has induced me 

 to respond to the invitation to give a paper on this subject; and as I have had more 

 experience in growing the peach than any other kind of fruit, I have taken " Success- 

 ful Peach Culture " as my text. 



Now, if I were to write about the failures of peach-growing, it would be much easier 

 for me. There are many things that enter into this subject that go to make up the 

 successful fruitgrower, some of which I will mention. 



First, location, one of the most essential. I need not tell these older fruitgrowers 

 this, for most of them can remember back when most of the orchards in the interior of 

 the state were frozen to death, which left the lake shore country the peach belt of 

 Michigan. I need not tell that all the land on the east shore of lake Michigan is 

 adapted to growing the peach, for that is not a fact. My choice for success in growing 

 the peach would be to get a high elevation (I do not think there is any danger of get- 

 ting too high in Michigan) within the influence of the lake. Now, there are excep- 

 tions to all general rules, and last season was the exception. There were more peaches 

 on the lower land last year than on the elevated locations, while this season the same 

 orchards are an entire failure. That a north or west slope is preferable has been 

 proven for the past two seasons, but as all w 7 ho wish to engage in the business can not 

 get a north or west slope, an east or south will do if you only get high enough. 

 Now, unless we can get a crop four years out of five, commercial peach -growing is not 

 a success, for reasons which we will not stop to enumerate. 



Second, success depends upon the proper management of an orchard, namely, plant- 

 ing, pruning, thinning, picking, and marketing. It is supposed that any one who can 

 dig a hole can set a tree. That may be a fact, but I am of the opinion that the one 

 reason so many trees die the first season is, that they were carelessly planted, and those 

 that do pull through are feeble for the first year or two, which I think the most impor- 

 tant period in the life of the peach tree. Like a stunted pig, a misset tree seldom if 

 ever recovers. Again, I think as much depends upon knowing how much or how little 

 to prune a peach tree as upon any part of orchard work. I think there has been 

 many a promising orchard very much injured by trimming too much, trimmed to 

 death. I have in mind several orchards which started out very promisingly, and were 

 kept trimmed up so there was no fear of breaking limbs in cultivating, and the inside 

 taken out so as to give the tree plenty of air and sunshine; but they never made suc- 

 cessful orchards. I could see no other reason than that they were pruned too much. 

 It is my opinion that we should study the habits of different kinds of peach 

 tree to know whether they are upright growers or whether inclined to droop, or of a 

 sprawling habit, at the commencement of pruning, of which I would do but little until 

 the second year after planting. Then commence to form the head. Then, if an upright 

 grower, like the Crawfords and Mixon, there is danger of getting them too high for con- 

 venience in picking, which may be avoided to a certain extent by keeping them cut 

 back from the top, while the Chili, Barnard, and all that class will need to be coaxed 

 up to get them out of the way of the team, which may be done by trimming from 

 below. I blieve that a peach tree of an upright habit may be so pruned that, with 

 good soil and proper cultivation, it may be made to bear, at twelve years, ten bushels of 

 fine peaches, and need no propping. But an orchard left to grow for four or five years 

 without pruning, can never be made a successful one. 



As the demand is growing more every year for fine fruit, and as we in Michigan have 

 to compete in our markets with most of the peach-growing states, we have more 

 yet to do to secure the best prices, which is very essential to success; and, in order to 

 get large fruit, trees that do over bear must be thinned. I believe no definite 

 rule can be given in this regard. One successful fruitgrower of South Haven recom- 

 mended thinning to four inches. That was several years ago; but, like us, further 

 north, he has not been bothered much with thinning for a year or two past. I think 

 the best plan is to use good common-sense this season. Study the conditions, the vigor 

 of the tree, the soil, cultivation, and variety, then your own disposition. If you are 

 inclined to be a little greedy, hire your help, telling them what you want of them, and 

 go to the house, but keep your eye on them. We should not count the expense, for 

 money spent in that way will bring back good interest. We can not be very successful 

 without thinning in a full bearing year. 



The starting point of an orchard is the tree. A tree may be all right in caliber, have 

 good roots, alive and in good condition for setting, yet be worthless to the planter for 

 several reasons. The varieties may not be adapted to the location in which it is to be 

 planted, which means failure. A kind may be too late, or " shy " in bearing, which 

 makes it worthless in a particular locality, and many varieties will come to the planter 

 highly recommended by some oily-tongued tree peddler who knew T nothing about differ- 



