342 



STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



FtG. 3.— Peach tree in the same orchard 

 as fig. 3. 



At the time of planting, a map of the orchard, showin.i; the location of each variety, 



should be made for future use. The neglect of this frequently causes much incon- 

 venience. The preparation of the soil, the digging of the holes for the ti'ees, and 



all necessary work in connection with the 



planting should be done in advance, so that 



when the trees are received there need be no 



delay and consequent drying of the roots 



before planting. If it is absolutely necessary 



to utilize flat land retaining moisture, fur- 



roAVS should be turned toward the center of 



20-foot lands for several j'ears in succession, 



and the trees finally planted on the middle por- 

 tion of these artificial ridges. 



The selection of the trees themselves is a mat- 

 ter of great importance. It is not necessary 



that they should be very large, but the trunks 



should be smooth and well-grown and the 



roots abundant and as little injured as possible. 



To secure these desirable qualities it is well in 



ordering trees to have a written agreement 



touching the points in question, so that infe- 

 rior trees may be rejected. The roots should 



not be close pruned, except for the 



removal of mangled or splintered portions, and 



the holes in which they are set should be of 



such dimensions that it will not be necessary 



to twist and cramp them in planting. Care 



should be taken that they are not set shallow — 



that is, on top of the earth— nor buried much 



deeper than they stood in the original nursery. 



They should not be set into hard earth, nor 



should the holes be filled with stones and rubbish, but with mellow earth well 



tramped down. Experience 

 in the United States has 

 shown pretty clearly that 

 peach trees in open orchards 

 do best on peach roots, but if 

 the situation is low and the 

 soil rather heavy, plurn roots* 

 may be substituted, in which 

 latter case the trees should 

 then be closer together, say 15 

 by 15 or 15 by 12 feet. In the 

 United States peaches are 

 not grown to any extent on 

 espaliers or in houses. 



Judgment differs as to 

 whether it is best to set June- 

 budded or August-budded 

 trees. Generally it will be 

 found convenient to buy the 

 trees of some reliable nur- 

 seryman, and such are usual- 

 ly propagated from buds set 

 in August, but if the planter 

 prefers to grow his own trees, 

 and time is a matter of conse- 

 quence, the seedlings should 

 be budded in June so as to ob- 

 tain a grafted top the same 

 year. 



In the selection of trees 

 special attention should be 

 paid to secure those which 

 are free from fungi and Injur- 



FiG. 4. 



-Peach yellows the fourth year. 



rious insects. The greatest care should be taken that the trees are not infested by 



* In selecting plum stocks care should be used to secure a variety which makes a good and lasting 

 union. The Marianna should not be used for a stock. 



