88 Bulletin 78 



usually remaining productive ten or twelve years from time of 

 setting. 



On account of the prevalence of spring frosts peaches are a ver^- 

 uncertain crop in exposed situations in the mountains. vSome 

 varieties of peaches are seriously injured by thrips which attack 

 the winter buds just as they are unfolding in the spring. Those 

 varieties which ripen their crop in the middle of the heated season 

 suffer seriously from the Allorhina beetle. Ripe peaches are also 

 very difficult to handle and market during very hot weather. The 

 chief disease of the peach in Arizona is the crown gall of the roots 

 which often does very serious damage (See Ariz. Sta. Bull. 33). Very 

 few peaches are dried in the region for the same reason as given 

 under "Figs." A very large list of peaches does well in the southern, 

 valleys, among which the following have been found to be especially 

 desirable: Admiral Dewey, Alexander, Briggs May, Late Crawford, 

 Elberta, vSalway, Wheatland, Sylphide Cling, Krummel, vSt. John 

 and Belle of Georgia. 



PEANUTS 



Peanuts ma}- be grown in the lower irrigated valleys. They 

 should be planted as soon as danger of frost is over; and mature 

 five or six months after planting. They do best in sandy soils, 

 recjuire frequent irrigation and should be harvested as soon as 

 yellow vines indicate maturity, to avoid sprouting the crop. The 

 Spanish variety yields a heavy crop of small nuts. Virginia Red 

 produces well if sufficiently irrigated. Indian Runner yields under 

 less favorable conditions than Virginia Red. In addition to their 

 uses as human food, peanuts make excellent hay. Being leguminous 

 in character, the crop is beneficial to the soils upon which it is 

 grown. 



PEARS 



Pears are well suited to all parts of Arizona, except in the very 

 frosty mountain sections. They thrive in a heavy soil, bloom late com- 

 pared with the stone fruits, and so usually escape damage by frost. 

 On account of late bloomiftg the pear can be planted in valleys where 

 other fruits are less certain, and where the pear finds soil conditions 

 better than on uplands where the soil is lighter. 



The fire blight, which is so destructive in practically all pear- 

 growing sections, is not so severe in our arid climate as it is in humid 

 sections. Nevertheless, it can do very severe damage in this State, 



