60 THE AMERICAN PEACH ORCHARD 



orchards anyway. Fall planting is largely pre- 

 ferred in middle latitudes, particularly in southern 

 New Jersey, Maryland, Tennessee, North Carolina, 

 etc. In the most southern commercial peach dis- 

 tricts, as Georgia and Alabama, winter planting is 

 generally practiced, and is correct. There are sub- 

 stantial advantages in fall and winter plantings 

 where it can be safely practiced. The work can be 

 done more leisurely and the trees become fixed to 

 a considerable degree in the soil before they are 

 called upon to begin their spring growth. 



DISTANCES FOR PLANTING 



Peach trees are always grown relatively close 

 together in orchard practice. The tree is naturally 

 smaller than the apple tree, it is shorter lived and 

 usually receives more restrictive pruning. Where- 

 as 30 to 35 feet may be looked upon as a standard 

 distance for planting apple trees, 18 by 18, or 20 by 

 20 feet should be regarded as a standard distance 

 for planting peach trees. There is even more varia- 

 tion in practice among fruit growers, however, re- 

 garding the planting of peach trees than regarding 

 the planting of apple trees. No very settled prac- 

 tice is followed in any peach-growing region. This 

 variation may be seen somewhat from the following 

 tabulation of replies received from peach growers 

 in various parts of the United States. About 200 

 replies were received. Among them there were a 

 good many scattering votes, suggesting irregular 

 distances and giving other information which could 

 not easily be tabulated. A fair view of the situa- 

 tion, however, can be secured from the table which 

 shows the number of times each method was voted 

 for: 



