Winter Meeting. Ill 



"^ 



and other varieties in their season we find in the market Texas and 

 Arkansas Elbertas to take the top prices. Then when the Salway, a 

 fine peach in its season, comes in the market, we find that Elbertas 

 from Colorado and Michigan are still in the lead. 



I find by experience that the Elberta season can be prolonged 

 full)^ two weeks by cultivation, which would give it a season of 

 nearly four weeks. Without plowing the orchard in the spring the 

 peaches will ripen earlier, and will be of high flavor, but not so 

 large. One good plowing in the spring will make the peaches 

 larger and they will ripen a week later. A thorough cultivation, five 

 or six plowings, during the season before ripening, will cause the 

 peaches to bear two weeks later, give the tree more growth and 

 foliage and the peaches will be very large, more juicy, but not of 

 much color and liable to rot in wet weather. By all means plant the 

 Elberta in the Ozarks. 



DISCUSSION OF THE PEACH. 



Mr. Atwood. — T visited Mr. Culver not long since. He told me 

 of getting from 27,000 trees $22,000 worth of peaches in one crop. 

 He has now 240 acres planted to Elberta peaches. Some of his land 

 is so stony that he h^is made arrangements with the 'Frisco railroad to 

 supph^ them with crushed stone for ballast. In this way he clears 

 his land and gets paid for his labor. 



^Ir. Gano. — I have not written a paper upon peach varieties, but 

 in the first place I would avoid the whole Hale family in peach grow- 

 ing. None of them are profitable. Here is the list for family use 

 which I would plant : Early Rivers, Troth's Early, Alt. Rose, Family 

 Favorite, Carmen, St. John, Reeves, Early York, Champion, Capt. Eads, 

 Elberta, Crosby, Keyport White, Pickett's Late, Salway and Hen- 

 rietta. Wilkin's Cling is superior to the old Heath if you want a 

 late white "cling. 



J. H. Hale. — Mr. Gano's list is an excellent one. If T were to 

 grow only one peach for home use it would be the Champion. It is 

 extremely hardy in bud, always inclined to overbear, and hence needs 

 thinning, and is of delicious quality. It is going to be one of the 

 most profitable peaches in the country. I am a peach crank. That 

 is my favorite branch of horticulture. There has been a tremendous 

 peach craze for the last few years. There are already more than 

 18,000,000 peach trees in. the State of Georgia, and from 3,000,000 to 

 5,000,000 more will be planted before next spring. There have also 

 been verv heavy plantings in Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Ar- 



H— 12 



