Winter Meeting. 175* 



along the bluffs of the Missouri river. It is true enough that failures 

 come, sometimes several in succession ; already now we have had two suc- 

 cessive failures. But these disappointments only whet the appetites 

 of the consumer so that when a crop comes they taste so good and 

 look so tempting that we simply cannot do without them, and people 

 will continue to plant regardless of failures. But it is a singular 

 thing that whenever it is discovered that the crop is winter killed 

 right then and there the sale for trees that spring practically stops, 

 and planting of peach trees does not resume its normal condition- 

 until another crop is assured. Curious things us people are! But 

 speaking of failures in North Missouri, do they not come in Soutb 

 Missouri, in Georgia or Texas, Delaware and Michigan? Perhaps 

 not as often, yet they come. One peculiarity of our failures in North 

 Missouri, they hardly ever come from spring frosts; if your buds get 

 through the winter safe we are nearly sure of a crop. Now for a 

 few points on the growing of a peach orchard, the varieties, etc., and 

 I am through. 



In North Missouri, as every place else, the peach orchard should 

 be planted on good land on an elevated location, north or eastern' 

 slope. Trees should be well cultivated each season. Of all the fruit 

 trees the peach should be the best cultivated and kept growing, forming 

 new wood and kept headed back each season, keeping the tops low 

 and within bounds. 



The borers are a great enemy of the peach tree and all trees- 

 should be gone over twice each season and the borers taken out. A great 

 help to keep away borers is to keep the ground perfectly clean of all weeds 

 and grass around the trunk of the tree. To meet with success in 

 growing peaches is to be careful in the selection of varieties. Do 

 not plant but very few of the real early ripening varieties. Plant the 

 bulk of your orchard in varieties that will ripen from August 15 to- 

 October 10. The following list will cover that season and is suf- 

 ficient for all purposes. Plant enough of each variety to do some 

 good; if you can only plant a few trees cut out the varieties. The 

 following have done well for the writer at Boonville: First, Champion, 

 next Elberta, then Henderson, Stump the World, Dewey Cling, Heath 

 Cling, Smock and Salway. For real early, Sneed, Triumph, Alexander 

 and Foster. What will succeed best at my new home, Plattsburg. T. 

 can tell better later on. 



