farmers' institutes. 213 



SITE AND LOCATION. 



A matter of almost as great importance as the soil is the choosing 

 of a site and location for a peach orchard. By site is meant the 

 exact situation of the orchard, whether in a valley, on a high level 

 place or on a hillside, while by location would be understood the 

 distance from a town or railroad. If the orchard is planted for com- 

 mercial purposes it must be located so as to have access to a market. 

 It is expensive and also difficult to have to haul peaches far to market. 

 Every large commercial peach orchard should be located on a rail- 

 road or near enough to one to have a spur running into the orchard. 

 Apples, after barreling, may be hauled for miles without serious 

 injury, but peaches are too tender and juic\- to stand such treatment, 

 even if economy would permit of it. 



The man who owns a farm and wishes to have a small orchard 

 may exercise considerable choice as to the site. Opportunity is 

 offered to select from high land, low land or hillsides, but the large 

 grower is compelled to use the land as he finds it or have his orchard 

 in spots which would not be advisable. If the orchard to be planted 

 is small and there is a large area to select from, the most desirable 

 site would be on a north slope where the trees would remain cool as 

 long as possible in early spring. 



In general a peach orchard should be situated on high ground — 

 not necessarily high as to altitude, but higher than the land imme- 

 diately adjoining or surrounding it. A level plain, no matter what 

 the altitude, would not be as desirable a situation as a ridge of low 

 altitude, but yet slightly higher than the surrounding areas. The or- 

 chard must have good air and water drainage. At times it is as de- 

 sirable to have the air flow off as it is the water. Every one has noticed 

 when traveling across the country at night in early spring that the air 

 is warm and comfortable on the hills, but quite chilly in the valleys. 

 This is due to the fact that cold air is much heavier than warm air 

 and when it begins to get cool on the ridges the cold air slowly rolls 

 off down into the valleys and will continue to flow down like water.' 

 If conditions favor this drainage, the cold air will be drawn off and 

 the warm will remain. 



In early spring, about blossoming time, a matter of one to three 

 degrees in temperature about the trees is very important and may 

 determine the success or failure of the crop. Experience has re- 

 peatedly shown that paying crops are produced on high ground, while 

 in the valleys and lower levels there are often failures. 



