236 CALIFORNIA FRUITS I HOW TO GROW THEM 



of much importance, which will be considered presently. In the coast 

 counties north of the Russian River Valley the danger to the peach 

 from unfavorable atmospheric conditions increases as one goes north- 

 ward, and situations must be chosen with greater care. And yet by 

 such exercise of care, peaches for home use and local markets can 

 be successfully grown. 



South of San Francisco Bay the coast influences soften as you 

 proceed southward, and the peach draws nearer to the ocean, choos- 

 ing, however, elevations and avoiding broad, wind-swept areas and 

 narrow defiles where drafts and fogs are frequent. At considerable 

 elevations, as on the Santa Cruz Mountains, some varieties of peaches 

 are notably excellent. The general rule holds with the peach, as 

 with other fruits, that coast influences retard ripening and the season 

 of the fruit is late. 



In some valleys and at elevations in southern California the 

 peach is largely grown and high excellence attained while on the 

 mesas and plains there is often too high a temperature which starts 

 growth out of season and follows with a dormacy and die-back when 

 the tree ought to be most active. It has recently been demonstrated 

 that varieties like Lukens' Honey, descended from the Peen-to or 

 flat peach of China, resists such irregularities better than the common 

 sorts which are largely of Persian origin. 



SOILS AND EXPOSURES FOR THE PEACH 



Through the suitability of soils for the peach can . be somewhat 

 extended by the choice of stock for budding upon, as will be considered 

 presently, its range of soils is narrower than that of the apricot. 

 The best peach soils are light, deep, sandy loams, rather dry than 

 moist, but under all circumstances well drained. It will thrive on 

 land with a considerable mixture of coarse sand or gravel, providing 

 it contains also needed elements of fertility; for the rapid growth and 

 heavy fruitage of the peach requires abundant nutrition. Though 

 it accepts coarse materials both in soil and subsoil, it relishes fine 

 sediment and perhaps finds no more congenial location than in the 

 deep, sandy loam, or sedimentary deposit bordering the creek beds 

 of our warm valleys, and will send its roots deep to secure long life 

 and abundant fruitage. Such soils, whether along existing streams 

 or deposited by prehistoric water courses, which have left their mark 

 by the elevated ridges of rich sediment above the prevailing valley 

 soils, are warm, deep, and thoroughly drained, and delight the peach. 

 Peaches are grown very successfully on what is called hardpan in 

 some parts of Fresno County, providing the hardpan is blasted as 

 described in Chapter XL In these situations the hardpan is near the 

 surface and has a deep free soil below it into which the roots can 

 extend. 



At elevations on the hillsides there are free loams which result 

 from decomposition of the underlying rocks, and on them the peach 

 thrives, both where the soils themselves are deep and where the 



