■44 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



all the reason wliich can be assigned is, that the trees the sooner shade 

 the ground and protect each other from the effects of the sweeping- 

 winds; now as the peach is a quick grower, it the sooner furnishes this 

 ne'eded protection ; another advantage in the peach for this purpose, it 

 is a short-lived tree in our climate, and if planted at the distance 

 ^Recommended will, as a rule, have passed its day of usefulnees before 

 it will materially interfere with tlie apple trees, and if not already dead, 

 the owner will have no conpunctions of conscience in removing it ; 

 where if an equal number of apple trees had been planted, very few 

 men would have the nerve to remove them till the whole orchard 

 would be in a starved and ruined condition ; another advantage of the 

 peach for this purpose is, it lills the ground literally full of roots, which 

 readily decay when the tree is removed knd furnish drainage, food and 

 a good mechanical condition of the soil for the feeding roots of the 

 apple trees. This is perhaps enough on theory, as all theories to be 

 of use must be practiced, I will give some practical results: in my 

 first planting of trees I planted apple trees thirty feet apart in squares, 

 in a small portion of the orchard I planted peach trees half way be- 

 tween them one way, in that ])art of the orchard 1 got nearly all my 

 apples for several years, and it has been uniformly more fruitful since, 

 with no other sufficient cause to account for it; and wherever I have 

 seen apple and peach trees intermingled it has appeared to me to bene- 

 fit the apple trees. In conclusion I will say plant peach trees, don't de- 

 vote the land entirely to the peach but plant them in your young apple 

 archards and it will pay you. The stove wood which can be secured 

 from an old peach orchard is of itself no small item in a prairie country. 



HENEY SPEEE. 



DISCUSSION. 



President — Are there any remarks on the subject? 



Mr. Lionherger — This planting together has been a great disadvan- 

 tage. 



Mr. Burlces — I believe that if we will take care of them, planting- 

 together would be advantageous, keeping the peaches well headed in. 

 I think we should not be discouraged in regard to the peach but form 

 new orchards, especially upon new locations where no orchards have 

 been before. The peach does much better in fresh virgin soil, unless 

 we go to the trouble of supplying fertilizers. 



Mr. Holman — I planted one hundred acres of orchard for a Mis- 

 ■ sissippian, about half in that way on the northwest to make a wind 



