WEST MICHIGAN FRUIT GROWERS' SOCIETY. 171 



PLANTING TEEES. 



No orchard, in my judgment, should be planted less than twenty feet apart, 

 for several reasons. First, to allow a good chance to work the trees. Second, 

 the tree should have the benefit of the soil for ten feet each way, to mature 

 the fruit properly ; and third, to admit the sunlight to color the fruit and have 

 it fully developed ; and fourth, for the free circulation of air. Holes for set- 

 ting trees should be at least throe feet across, and the top soil should be used 

 around the roots. After setting the trees should be well mulched. 



SOIL. 



Great care should be taken in selecting soil for an orchard. My observa- 

 tion and experience show that sandy loam is the best. The nicest peaches I 

 ever saw were grown on sandy loam, though 1 have seen very fine peaches 

 grown on sandy soil and also on clay, but such soils need more application 

 of that class of matter that goes to fertilize the peach, and care should be 

 taken to give the tree, while growing, proper nutriment, which should con- 

 sist of well-rotted barn-yard manure. 



PRUNING. 



The tree should be pruned so as to leave no crotches, but limbs extending 

 from the trunk from four to twelve inches apart, and in my judgment the 

 top of the tree should commence three feet from the ground ; and care should 

 be taken, in pruning, to give the tree an upright position and to prevent it 

 from arming out so as to hinder successful cultivation. 



SOILING. 



It has become a matter of much study among the peach growers, what 

 should be used for soiling purposes. With us, on clay soil, we use rye — some 

 use clover with rye, whicli is very good ; but in my opinion, rye, if continued 

 for a number of years, does not furnish sufficient material for the pit of the 

 peach, and would recommend that wood ashes be used once in about three or 

 four years — or potash, which is the same — for material for pit growth, or 

 well-rotted barn-yard manure will supply the place. 



THINNING. 



One of the greatest cares in peach raising is to thin properly, as quality is 

 wanted rather than quantity. When the grower sees the tree loaded with 

 nice fruit, he commences at once to estimate the baskets on the tree and the 

 amount per basket, and it is difficult for him to thin properly ; but he 

 should remember that a few less baskets of fine fruit are worth more than a 

 gre3,t amount of inferior peaches; and again, over-bearing hastens the death 

 of the tree by exhausting its vitality in a worthless crop. 



CULTIVATION. 



There is such a diversity of opinion as to the manner of cultivating trees, 

 that we scarcely find two of the same views as regards the matter. Different 



