416 REPOET OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



cent of the tine sand, 12 per cent of the sand}' loam, and 2 per cent 

 of the loam examined, and were not reported as an important crop 

 on any of the other classes of soil, thus confirming the general 

 impression that peaches are adapted to the loose open soils of a 

 sandy nature and to some stony loams. 



In a bulletin from the Arkansas Station it is reported " that much 

 of the land on which peaches are now successfully grown in the 

 South is worn cotton soil. The roots of the peach tree reach deeper 

 than cotton and draw on stores of plant food untouched in the 

 shallow culture of that plant. 



At the Mississippi Station '' peaches grown in a stiff, heavy clay 

 over light-colored, sticky, and poorly drained subsoil made a rather 

 unhealthy growth. A large percentage of the trees died and the 

 fruit lacked color and flavor. On a deep, strong clay loam over an 

 orange-colored clay subsoil the trees grew rather too vigorousl}^ and 

 it was difficult to keep the wood growth within proper limits. On 

 light, gray-colored soil the trees were medium sized, required but, 

 little pruning, and produced a fair amount of fruit of good quality, 

 but showed signs of nearing the end of their period of usefulness 

 after four years bearing. On red clay over deep red subsoil the trees 

 were medium sized, healthy, well sliaped, and required but little 

 pruning. The fruit on these trees was invariably more highly col- 

 ored, freer from defects, and more uniform in size and shape and more 

 highly flavored than that from other parts of the orchard. 



The California Station reports " that no peaches of even fair quality 

 have been produced at the station on strong alkali. On black alkali 

 the fruit on some of the peach trees dried up when it was the size of 

 a walnut. Peaches on light alkili showed a tendency to overbear 

 beyond the normal rate of young trees, but the fruit was of only 

 medium quality. Such data as have been secured favors the use of 

 plum stocks on alkali soils. Strong alkali soil is relatively cold and 

 it has been noticed that on such soils the blossoms and leaves often 

 appear five or six days later than on ordinary soils. 



TREATMENT OF TREES AT TRANSPLANTING. 



The experiment stations quite generally recommend strong, 

 healthy trees 1 year old from the bud for transplanting to the orchard. 

 There is a difference of opinion as to how the trees should be pruned 

 with reference to roots and branches at this time. H. M. String- 

 fellow in his book on the new horticulture and in numerous com- 

 munications to the agricultural press advocates that in setting out 

 trees the roots should be pruned back to mere stubs and the top of 



n Arkansas Rta. Bui. 79. 



b Mississippi Sta. Bill. 93. 



c California Sta. Rpts. 1891-92, p. 206; 1893-94, p. 407; 1896-97, p. 397. 



