FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT. 47 



clean cultivation for a few years. Lots of peach orchards that have 

 gone to pieces have been handled in that way, but I think that in this 

 connection, it is a good plan to put up some word of warning against 

 committing that same error in growing our orchards. Do not, for the 

 life of your orchard, take up with a method that will put your ground 

 out of commission. 



Mr. Graham — I would be very glad to explain that. Strange as it 

 may seem to the gentleman, I have had much better success in growing 

 peach 'orchards on ground that was run down and regarded as poor, 

 as it very well could be. In fact, the best orchard I have ever grown 

 was on ground that would not grow white beans. If I were going to 

 pick outpeach orchard land, I would get land that would not grow five 

 bushels of wheat per acre. I never had any trouble in getting plenty 

 of growth on one or two year old trees. 



The difficulty is, we grow all of our trees too strong for the first two 

 years and then we neglect them. We do not want too much growth in 

 one or two years. Let us grow them carefully, but not get them with 

 soft, spongy wood but get strong, hard wood the first year or two, then, 

 when they begin to produce fruit, put something on to produce fruit. 

 I have done this on several orchards and the only success I have ever 

 had in growing a good bearing peach orchard is to do it in this way. 

 There is no theory in this thing — it is experience. I planted my trees, 

 not on sod ground, but on open ground. I put on a crop of corn, then 

 a second crop of corn and a little fertilizer with it, then plowed the 

 orchard every fall. I do not put the cover crop on one or two year 

 old orchards, especially peach orchards. Many are plowing a good fur- 

 row up on each side, leaving a dead furrow, putting the plow down 

 just as deep as a good team will draw it. Then put on the cover crop 

 the third year, then put on the fertilizer. That is my theory, and I might 

 say also, my practice. 



Question — What is the average life of your peach orchard? 



Mr. Graham — About five years now. It used to be ten or fifteen or 

 twenty years. Now the yellows and little peach get them. 



A member — The average life of a peach orchard, as ordinarily handled, 

 will be from fourteen to twenty vears, where the trees are not taken 

 by disease. The thought I have is that we do not give our orchards 

 what we give our farm land, or they would last longer than they do. 

 They ought to have a stronger soil, so that they will make a more vigor- 

 ous growth. 



