56 



THE KANSAS PEACH. 



WRAPPING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 



At the recent meeting of the Michigan fruit-growers, H. E. 

 Van Deman said: "There is nothing very mysterious about the suc- 

 cess of the California fruit-growers. In the first place, they take 

 pains to produce high-grade fruit; then they fix it up in the nicest 

 packages they can devise, and wrap every pear, every peach, every 

 fruit (except cherries) in tissue paper, some even having their brand 

 printed on the tissue paper. And this fruit they send here, and with 

 it capture the fancy market. The way to beat California is to beat 

 her at her own game. If it pays them to buy tissue paper and wrap 

 their fruits, it will pay you. Fruit which is wrapped is of better 

 quality; the wrapping retains the flavor. Why do the Florida people 

 wrap their oranges ? They wrap oranges with skins as thick as sole 

 leather because it retains the aroma. With a pear, the longer that 

 fragrance escapes the poorer it is. The peach, pear or plum that is 

 wrapped is better than if not wrapped." 



SOILS OF THE PEACH BELT OF MICHIGAN. 



From Bulletin No. 90 of the Michigan Experiment Station. 



The conditions that determine the successful cultivation of Ihe 

 jjeach in our state are climatic to a large extent. Yet the peach 

 thrives best and produces fruit of finest quality on light, porous soils 

 which are found in abundance along the eastern shore of Lake Michi- 

 gan. Yet fruit of good quality is xjroduced on some of the heavy clay 

 lands found in this belt. 



Soilfrorn Van Buren county : 

 Timber: Hemlock. 



Sand and silicates % 87.23 



Alumina 2.87 



Oxide of iron l.,52 



Lime , .51 



Magnesia i6 



Potash 83 



Soda 34 



Sulphuric acid 20 



Phosphoric acid 13 



Organic matter containing / 



.07 nitrogen \ 3.41 



Water 2.23 



Capillary capacity for water, 



44.70. 



Soil from Lake county: 

 Timber: Maple, elm, hemlock, bass- 

 wood. 



Sand and silicates % 87.32 



Alumina .3.22 



Oxide of iron 2.10 



Lime 62 



Magnesia 28 



Potash 90 



Soda (33 



Sulphuric acid 10 



Phosphoric acid 23 



Organic matter containing / 



.12 nitrogen \ 3.78 



Water ."35 



Capillary capacity for water, 

 45.55. 



