PEACH GROWING IN NORTH CAROLINA 



liy C. D. Matthews, Assistant Horticulturist 



INTKODUCTION 



A large amount of interest lias been taken both in the growing of coin- 

 mert'ial orchards and in the production of peaches for local markets 

 during the past few years. As a result of this wide and growing 

 interest regarding peach production in this State, numerous requests 

 for information have been directed to the Division of Horticulture 

 from prospective groAvers. At the same time, numerous requests have 

 been rec^'ivcd from peach growers for information regarding the dif- 

 ferent practices of peach culture. 



To collect information and at the same time to become acquainted 

 with the most important problems of peach growing so as to initiate 

 the most valuable experimental work, the writer has spent much time 

 in the commercial orchards of the State during the past two seasons. 

 To supply the information collected in an available form, this bulletin 

 has been written. 



HISTORY OF COMMERCIAL PEACH GROWING IN NORTH CAROLINA 



Commercial peach growing in North Carolina is of comparatively 

 recent origin. While there had been numerous isolated orchards, the 

 first of really commercial importance was planted near Southern Pines 

 in Moore County in 1892 by J. Van Lindley, and consisted of 50.000 

 trees. The trees grew favorably and the owners expected to make a 

 fortune out of the orchard in a few years. The first crop was harvested 

 in 1895, from three-year-old trees, and was very encouraging. 



There was a small orchard about a quarter of a mile away which was 

 infested with the San Jose Scale. The trees had been secured from a 

 nurseryman in New Jersey who was not aware that he had the scale 

 in his nursery. In 1896 the San Jose Scale broke out in the Lindley 

 orchard. The infested trees were cut out, but the scale continued to 

 spread. In 1897 the whole orchard was covered and Mr. Lindley had 

 the remainder of the 50.000 trees dug up and bunied, as it was not 

 then known how to control the scale. Not discouraged by this ill 

 fortune, "Mr. Lindley planted an additional one hundred acres to peaches 

 soon after this. Those trees wore infested with the scale too, but by 

 this time entomologists were recommending kerosene emulsion as a 

 means of control. This spray was found to be effective; but in spray- 

 ing, not only the scale, but about 10 per cent of the trees were killed 



