Summer Meeting. 141 



When we have the right location the next consideration is 

 varieties. Do not plant all Elbertas, but select those varieties 

 that are the most hardy, and follow in succession from early to 

 late. Some of the white varieties, both free and clings, and some 

 of our white or straw-colored peaches are more delicious than many 

 of the yellow varieties, and much more hardy in bud. When we 

 have a trade to supply, it is best to have different varieties to supply 

 it. 



Cultivation, with me, has been one of the greatest helps to suc- 

 cess growing the peach, and no good results came where it was not 

 kept up. It often means the difference between a partial crop or 

 no crop at all in our so-called off years. And if best for off years, 

 why not best all the time? 



My experience in cultivation of the peach has been different in 

 some respects from that of some of our best authorities on grow- 

 ing U»'s fruit. It is quite generally said, and recommended, that 

 cultivation should stop the latter part of summer, so that the soil 

 of the peach would ripen up before cold weather came on, and then 

 the bud would be more able to withstand the cold. 



This with me has proved to be a wrong theory, for I find, when 

 practical, the trees drop their foliage early, and then a few warm 

 days in November and December causes those early and well 

 ripened buds to swell to some extent, and then they are easily 

 killed by zero weather. 



Where I differ from this old theory is, in keeping up cultiva- 

 tion until October, or later, for the purpose of making the trees 

 hold their foliage as late as possible, and as long as they do so 

 the fruit buds will not swell, neither will they be killed by the 

 first cold weather. 



I did not at first do much pruning or cutting back, but later, 

 and especially in seasons of a full crop, found it the best and quick- 

 est way to thin out the fruit. In this way we double the size of 

 our fruit and increase the selling value, both in demand and price, 

 for consumers want the largest and finest fruit, and will pay 

 double and thribble for it. Financial success with a peach crop 

 after once grown is to some extent also dependent on location, 

 for I find that having a home market, where I can dispose of all the 

 culls and over-ripe fruit, and also a part of the better grades, 

 often means a difference of profit instead of loss. In fact, I find 

 the more I deal with the retail dealer and consumer, the greater 

 are my profits. When gathering fruit for market I do not pick all 

 the fruit off of a tree at once, but pick only that which has come 



