FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



An abstract of the Lectures Delivered Before the Meetings in 1902. 



PEACH GROWING IN ^IISSOURI. 



(By Prof. W. L. Howard, Asst. Horticulturist, Experiment Station, 



Columbia, Mo.) 



Peach growing has become one of the important industries of 

 Missouri. With varying degrees of success, the fruit may be grown 

 in almost any locality in the State. However, like everything else 

 that grows, the peach has its preferences as to soil and location. 

 With a little extra care a small orchard for family use may be grown 

 under unfavorable circumstances, but where it is desired to plant a 

 commercial peach orchard, the subject is one worthy of careful con- 

 sideration. 



THE SOIL. 



Alissouri has a great diversity of soils varying from the deep, 

 rich, well-drained loess formation along the bluff sides of the Missouri 

 river, through all the gradations of deep, black soils of much of 

 north ^Missouri, the moderately deep soils underlain by hard-pan; 

 the gravelly soils with porous clay subsoils, so characteristic of the 

 Ozark region, to the sandy lands and swamps of some of the south- 

 eastern counties. Peach trees will grow in all of these soils except 

 the swamps, and produce some fruit, but for the large plantings we 

 should avail ourselves of the natural aids as far as possible. 



The chief requirement of a soil for successfully growing peaches 

 is that it be porous enough to afford good bottom drainage. This 

 is of far more importance than fertility. There are many places 

 where the soil is rich enough to make good land for general farming 

 purposes, but which is wholly unfit for either peach or apple trees 

 because of its very hard, compact, clay (known as hard-pan) beneath. 



