THE KANSAS PEACH. 43 



H. H. BiCKFORD, Johnson's Creek, Niagara county: I should plant chiefly 

 Early and Late Crawfords. Smock is too late for this locality. 



W. T. Manx, Barkers, Niagara county: Early and Late Crawfords, Foster, 

 Reeve's Favorite. Among white varieties I should choose Mountain Rose, 

 Stump, Old Mixon Free, Ward's Late White. Elberta is promising. 



F. M. Bradley, Lake Road, Niagara county : Early Crawford is our only 

 peach which can be classed as first for market. Yellow St. John is good. El- 

 berta is promising, but is much subject to curl-leaf. 



E. M. Moody, Lockport, Niagara county : Early Rivers, Mountain Rose, Early 

 and Late Crawfords, Smock, Salway. 



Peter S. Tower, Youngstown, Niagara county: Early and Late Crawfords, 

 Reeve's Favorite, Globe, Smock, Old Mixon Free. 



Henry' Lutts, Youngstown : Early Rivers, Hynes's Surprise, Yellow St. John, 

 Early Crawford, Old Mixon Free, Reeve's Favorite, Wheatland, Chair's Choice, 

 Late Crawford, Globe, Beers Smock, Gary's Hold On, Billyer's Late, Salway. 



SOILS AND PLANTING. 



As peach-tree roots have less power of penetrating hard .soil than 

 most other trees, therefore the best soil should be warm, sandy, well 

 drained, and in a location where good air will freely circulate. 



Seeds may be planted right where the tree is wanted, in which case 

 do not plant less than three seeds or pits in one spot. If these are 

 persistent — such as come again true from seed — and the young trees 

 robust, two may be pulled up when six or eight inches high, or cut 

 down still later, allowing only one to grow. This (or all three) may 

 be budded at the pi'oper time, and the strongest one chosen to re- 

 main. Trees from seed, grown in a nursery and budded, may be set 

 out the following spring, but great risk is run of some injury occur- 

 ing to the bud, in which case much of the labor is lost. It is better 

 to wait or obtain trees one year from the bud. You are then sure of 

 3' our variety, and your tree has a good start. If you are transplanting 

 seedlings, they may be successfully set at either one or two years of 

 age. I do not advise fall planting. 



In setting, the tree can hardly be too severely pruned. Our best 

 growers trim the roots considerably and then cut off all side branches 

 from the top, and cut the stalk down to sixteen, eighteen, twenty or 

 twenty-four inches. When such an orchard is planted it looks just 

 like stakes driven to show where to plant. Such treatment causes a 

 new. thrifty top to form low down, which is the only proper way to 

 grow serviceable peach trees in Kansas. Each year thereafter cut 

 back about one-third the new growth. How long this should con- 

 tinue is a question ; but I would advise it until it becomes too great 

 a task. Young trees are said to be better and have more stamina if 

 not left in nursery rows all winter. Thinning on the trees is abso- 



