PEACHES. 101 



PEACHES. 



O. M. LOKI), MIXNESOTA CITY. 



In the spring of 1853, 1 wanted to plant some fruit trees where I 

 now live. I had occasion to go to Galena and visited the fruit fartn 

 of Mr. Soulard, a very genial and intelligent man. He advised me to 

 try apple, cherry, pear and plum trees, "but," said he, " peach trees 

 will not live up there. Whenever the mercury falls to 14° or 15° be- 

 low zero Fah., they will be killed." 



Remembering his advice, 1 considered it useless to try, as we are 

 liable to much more severe cold. However, peach seed was fre- 

 <|uently planted in this vicinity, and sometiines the trees made a fine 

 growth, to be killed back every winter, and, of course, no fruit. The 

 first one to meet with success, I believe, was Mr. P. M. Gideon, and 

 his method has been published and illustrated till it is generally 

 known to all who care to inquire. 



In the spring of 188-t, the Jewell Nursery Company sent me two 

 Hale's Early peach trees, which I set out, and both grew but winter 

 killed. In cutting back I saved some scions and crown-grafted into 

 plum roots. These grew readilj^ and finely, and the third year 

 blossomed and produced some fruit. These trees were accidentally 

 killed. 



The next venture was with one dozen trees from Savannah, Mo., 

 Hale's Early, Old Mixon and Waterloo. Mr. Frazee furnished me 

 with a description of his method, which was to place a board or flat 

 stone under the roots and place the roots in such a shape as to make 

 them grow over one edge of the board, so that by removing some of 

 the dirt the trees could be bent over and covered for the winter. I 

 did as directed but covered the trees with dirt and killed them, as 

 they never exhibited any signs of life. Had I protected the roots 

 with dirt and tops with straw or hay, I presume they would have 

 lived, as since then I have sometimes thrown a little dirt on the tops 

 of the trees, which it invariably kills wherever it comes in immedi- 

 ate contact. Attempts have been made in this vicinity to protect 

 the trees by binding with straw or hay or by placing cornstalks 

 about them, but without much success. As I knew but little about 

 peach culture except by reading, I was under the impression that 

 our seasons were not long enough for them to ripen. I therefore 

 wrote Mr. Kerr, of Denton, Maryland, to send me a few trees of the 

 earliest peaches. He sent three varieties one year from the bud, 

 Early Rivers, John Haas and Elberta. The third year after setting, 

 they bore finely, though we were visited by some frosts late in May. 

 The Pearly Rivers were ripe the first week in August, the John Haas 

 about the middle of August and the Elberta the first week in Sep- 

 tember. These trees were planted rather deeply on a sandy soil, 

 with care to place the longer roots lengthwise of the row with the 

 intention of bending them over crosswise to cover for the winter. 



In setting trees in the future, I would set further apart in the row 

 and place the longer roots crosswise, so as to bend the trees length- 

 wise of the row. To lay them down, I first put sufficient straw in a 

 small pile to keep the tops from the ground, and dig down beside 

 the stem, cutting any roots that may be in the way, and, if necessary, 



