54 Peach-Growing 



many of the pits, when handled in this manner in warm 

 climates, do not crack the first season, hence do not germi- 

 nate. Therefore, the usual course by this method is to plant 

 the seeds more thickly than when planting kernels that have 

 been separated from the pits with a view to using the first 

 season's seedlings the summer following the planting; then 

 by the second spring the seeds that did not grow the year 

 before will germinate. Thus two successive crops of seed- 

 lings are grown from the one planting and accordingly two 

 successive crops of nursery stock are produced on the same 

 piece of land. 



Thus it follows that, contrary to common belief, freezing 

 is not a necessary agent in the cracking of the pits, but if 

 they are soaked a sufficient length of time (it may require 

 several weeks or even months to soften them at the suture 

 if they are extremely dry and for the kernels to become so 

 plump from the absorption of moisture as to force them 

 open), the kernels will germinate the same as when the 

 pits are cracked by freezing. 



With the pits or kernels planted, by whatever method, 

 they should germinate readily in the spring with the return 

 of good growing conditions. Under favorable circumstances 

 the seedlings will grow rapidly, and before the end of July 

 a large proportion should be i inch in diameter at the sur- 

 face of the ground and large enough to begin budding. This 

 operation may be continued through July, August, and 

 into September, provided growing conditions are favorable. 

 In case of severe drought in midsummer, the bark may 

 "set" at almost any time during the months named for bud- 

 ding, and thus bring to an end the budding period for the 

 season unless growth is renewed later by the return of fa- 

 vorable conditions. 



