776 



THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



which will cause it to put out vigorous branches. Budding is generally practiced at the North 

 with peach trees, &quot;but grafting is frequently resorted to at the South. Planting upon the site 

 of an old peach orchard or tree is not to be recommended, as such soils are more or less 

 exhausted of the elements requisite to their successful and healthy growth. 



Cultivation^ The best soil for the peach, is a rich, deep, sandy loam, although it 

 will thrive well on various other kinds of soils, such as the light, sandy soil of Delaware and 

 New Jersey. The site chosen for a peach orchard will depend upon the latitude. In sections 

 of the country where the fruit buds are liable to be cut off by the early frosts, it has been 



PBATT S RARERIPE. 



found that it is better to plant peach trees on the slopes of hills with a northern and western 

 exposure in order to avoid the early starting of the fruit buds, which endangers their being 

 blighted by frosts. By this means the colder exposure retards the putting forth of the buds 

 and blossoms until after all danger of frost is passed. Evergreen trees thickly planted on the 

 north and west sides of a peach orchard will aid materially in breaking the force of the strong 

 winds from those sources. 



With respect to the culture of peach orchards, there seems to exist a difference of 

 opinion, which is very properly based upon the nature of the soil, as will be seen by the fol 

 lowing from the pen of Mr. Downing: &quot;Most of the cultivators at the South say, never plow 



