No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 373 



cessfiil peach grower. My anwer would be, the Man, the Location, 

 and the Soil, would be the chief requirements; and the most im- 

 portant of the three is the Man himself because he may cause failure 

 where the most favorable conditions exist. 



He must take a liking to the business. Having such a man, next 

 in importance is the soil. I do not expect to find it disputed when 

 I say God made the soil complete — by which I mean that virgin 

 soil contains all the required elements to produce both the tree and 

 the fruit. Where shall this soil be located? By all means on the 

 hills, where there is an air drainage, get above the frost line, do not 

 make the mistake of putting your orchard in a ravine where it 

 is thought by many the cold winds cannot strike them. W)e have 

 all learned and often heard the remark on a cool evening — If the 

 wind's calm, we will have a frost. What does this mean? It 

 means as long as the wind blows, moisture will not settle, and as 

 long as moisture does not settle, frost cannot form; but just as soon 

 as the motion of the air ceases then moisture will gather and freeze. 

 In many so-called sheltered places where not sufficient air can get 

 in, moisture will settle and cause the loss of a crop of fruit. 



Having the location, next in order would be the trees. I never 

 expected the nurseryman to grow these for me. All I want from 

 the nurseryman is the starter. I never wanted the heavy first class 

 trees, neither would I recommend a very small tree. For, should 

 a dry season follow, heavy loss would be the result, as the tree 

 which should be planted in early spring has no way of taking nour- 

 ishment until fibers form, and in a dry season, would die or dry up, 

 if too light before fibers form. If too heavy not enough rootlets 

 come with the tree from the nursery, and this goes to the other ex- 

 treme. Having trees to caliber one-half inch planted a little deeper 

 than they stood in the nursery, in ground plowed deep, and pre- 

 pared as for a crop of corn is about right. After the trees are set 

 fifteen feet apart each way, then comes the work of the pruning 

 knife, here again the medium sized tree has the preference. Any 

 one familiar with the peach tree from the nursery knows full well 

 that a tree has a set of branches, then buds, then another set of 

 branches, then buds again. In heavy trees the tree has to be cut 

 either right above the collar which is too low; or at the second set 

 of buds which is too high; giving the tree too much leverage when 

 planted in the full sway of the wind. Potatoes or any cultivated 

 crop may be grown for two years, after which time the entire 

 ground should be given to the tree, and thoroughly cultivated. The 

 leaders should be cut back for three years, that is the time required 

 to grow peach trees of bearing size. The peach tree is unlike the 

 apple. The apple has fruit spurs while the peach bears its first on 

 the previous year's growth of wood. 



Consequently we must have a succession of new growth of wood. 

 By thorough cultivation and proper pruning and not allowing the 

 trees to overbear, the desired new-growth can be controlled, and 

 fair crops can be produced; unless the winter season becomes too 

 severe. Properly ripened peach buds will stand a temperature of 

 15 degrees below. A man has far more control than is gener-n1ly 

 believed by not allowing the tree to overbear. This is the wliole 

 secret of getting the buds in proper shape. Otherwise the tree has 



