Propagation of Peach Trees 53 



the conditions are under control in the bed, and a more uni- 

 form cracking of the pits may be secured. The kernels 

 being brought to view, the planting can be governed by their 

 condition and quality rather than by the appearance of the 

 pits alone. If many of the pits contain imperfect kernels, 

 it becomes evident and the planting can be gauged accord- 

 ingly. Thus it may be possible to secure a better stand 

 of seedlings by the stratification method than by planting 

 the pits in the fall where the seedlings are to grow. 



The foregoing methods, or some incidental modifications 

 of them, are followed in the regions where the winter tem- 

 peratures are sufficiently low to freeze the pits, either when 

 stratified or planted in the autumn, the freezing aiding in 

 separating the pits along the sutm-es. 



In the South, however, where mild winter temperatures 

 constantly prevail, peach pits are commonly planted in 

 September or October where the seedling stocks are to 

 grow, in the same manner as when planted in the fall in the 

 North. Or the seeds may be stratified in a bed with sand 

 in about the same way as in the North, but special attention 

 is given to keeping the bed moist, since the cracking of the 

 pits is dependent on the moisture alone without assistance 

 from the freezing, which is of very material aid in the colder 

 sections. 



In the course of several months, usually in January and 

 February, the pits will begin to crack open as a result of the 

 continuous influence of the moisture which surrounds them. 

 As soon as they crack in considerable numbers, they 

 are separated from the sand and planted as already 

 described. 



Other southern nurserymen plant the pits in October 

 where they wish the seedling stocks to grow. However, 



