THE KANSAS PEACH. 33 



and the only thing having any business in the orchard after that is a 

 horse, a harrow, and a plow. The practice of mixing crops by plant- 

 ing alternate rows of corn and expecting to get a peach orchard of 

 any vigor is extreme folly. At the first year's growth cut off all but 

 a few top sprouts, and the next year cut off the interfering side spurs. 

 Twice can these be removed, yet the tree will yield well. 



" Do the pruning and shaping in the first two years. In pruning 

 for fruit, the question is, "How are your buds ?" If they are nearly all 

 killed wait until spring, and when the buds are swelled prune. Trim 

 for peaches then. Don't trim for form; you may have one of the 

 worst looking orchards in the country, but you will get more peaches. 



''As to winter bud killing, seventy-five per cent, of your peach 

 buds may blight, but if the remaining twenty-five per cent, are evenly 

 distributed among the trees you need not worry. It is a popular fal- 

 lacy that when it is announced that fifty per cent, of the buds have 

 been killed the peach crop for the following season is doomed. It is 

 time enough to thin your fruit after it has set in the spring. Large, 

 fine fruit can be raised only when there are a moderate number of 

 peaches on. each tree. 



" It takes from ten to twelve days to gather peaches which have 

 come to maturity. Do n't use a machine in sorting them. Hire bright, 

 intelligent women ; they are better than men as a rule. And remem- 

 ber always that there is more profit in selling fifty or sixty peaches to 

 the half-bushel at two dollars than one hundred to the half bushel for 

 fifty cents. There may be less nutriment and more water in the large 

 fruits, but the people like them and will have them. As to the profit 

 in peach growing, it depends on the individual. 



PEACH GEOWING IN NEW JERSEY. 



By Alva T. Jordan, in Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 133. 

 SOILS FOR PEACHES. 



Downing, in his work on "Fruits and Fruit-trees of America," 

 page 582, states that "the very best soil for the peach is a deep, rich, 

 sandy loam, next to this a strong mellow loam, then a light, thin, 

 sandy soil, and the poorest a heavy, compact clay." Thomas, in the 

 "American Fruit Culturist," (20th ed.,) page 410, says "even a com- 

 pact clay may be made suitable for the peach by regular and thorough 

 underdraining and mellow cultivation." Our first commercial or- 

 chards were planted upon light, sandy soils. This fact led many of 

 the early planters to believe this class of soils the best for this fruit. 

 Later experience, however, has shown that the stronger gravelly and 

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