THE PEACHES OF NEW YORK 



153 



New York is very fortunate in having much land in all of its peach- 

 districts that is easily prepared for planting. Growers are not called upon 

 to profane the peach by planting it in a field of boulders as in New England 

 nor amongst stumps as in some southern peach-regions. Growers in the 

 State long ago learned that it is an up-hill task to grow the peach in land not 

 thoroughly fitted at the start. Usually the land is prepared a year in 

 advance by putting in a hoed crop, after which it is plowed deeply in the 

 fall, pulverized thoroughly in the spring and then planted as promptly 

 as possible. Fall-planting is not practicable because of severe losses follow- 

 ing from winter-killing. 



The peach-orchard is usually laid out in meridians and parallels in 

 New York at intervals of 18 by 18 or 20 by 20 feet, the former requiring 

 134 and the latter 108 trees. The topography of the land sometimes gives 

 preference to the triangular system of setting and rich soils or large grow- 

 ing varieties indicate greater distance while poor soils and small trees 

 suggest closer planting. One thing certain, it is poor orcharding to set the 

 trees too closely. Peaches picked in the pleached alleys of a closely set 

 orchard are few, small and poor in quality. Pride in appearance and 

 convenience in working the trees make perfect alignment imperative. 

 The peach readily self-pollinates so that interplanting varieties is not 

 practiced, but, rather, for convenience in harvesting, varieties are set in 

 solid blocks, growers seldom, nowadays, planting more than three or four 

 sorts. Laying out the land, digging holes, trimming roots, setting trees 

 are all kindergarten operations in fruit-growing, well understood by any 

 one qualified to go into peach-growing. 



As to varieties, Elberta is now the mainstay of all the peach-districts, 

 coming in as the mid-season crop. Greensboro, Carman, Champion, and 

 Belle, all white-fleshed; and St. John, Fitzgerald, Niagara and Early 

 Crawford, all yellow-fleshed, the two series named in order of ripening, 

 are standard varieties preceding Elberta in the markets. Standard sorts 

 following are, Oldmixon Free, the only white-fleshed sort, and Crosby. 

 Late Crawford, Kalamazoo, Chili, Smock and Salwey, these also named in 

 order of maturity. A large number of new varieties are on probation in 

 the State of which Arp, Lola, Edgemont, Rochester, J. H. Hale and Frances 

 are now most conspicuous. The peach-flora changes rapidly and many of 

 these favorites of today will be the cast-ofifs of tomorrow. 



In the early life of the orchard, until bearing is well established, an 

 inter-crop is a valuable asset in New York peach -orchards; on the other 



