10 THE AMERICAN PEACH ORCHARD 



of soil, irrigation and protection by mountain chains. 

 The noted fruit-growing sections in the Willamette 

 Valley, the Hood River Valley, the Rogue River 

 Valley, and the Umpqua Valley, although their rep- 

 utation rests chiefly on the production of apples, also 

 grow peaches very successfully. 



California has long been known as a peach-grow- 

 ing state, having produced quantities of peaches for 

 consumption throughout the central and eastern 

 states. The Sacramento and the San Joaquin val- 

 leys are generally known as the chief peach-growing 

 regions, but Fresno and Placer counties, and many 

 other sections of the state produce peaches commer- 

 cially. 



What does all this peach geography mean to the 

 man who wants to grow peaches and trade them for 

 silver dollars? Does it mean that he must move into 

 one of these highly developed localities and merge 

 his business with that of the successful men who 

 have already established reputations? This depends 

 a good deal on the man and on his present sur- 

 roundings. Doubtless the beginner who is foot- 

 loose would do better to produce peaches where he 

 knows that peaches can be grown and where some 

 one else has done the pioneer work of developing 

 methods and opening up markets. From the nature 

 of the case, the production and marketing of peaches 

 can be better managed in those localities where the 

 trade is centered. 



At the same time, there is a fine opportunity for 

 any man who is a level-headed fruit grower to pro- 

 duce and market peaches in regions outside the pres- 

 ent recognized peach districts. There are in this 

 country hundreds of thousands of acres of land 

 which will grow peaches successfully and which 

 have never yet been tested. If a man is willing to 



