248 



CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



IRRIGATION OF THE PEACH 



As the peach is the greatest deciduous fruit of the interior val- 

 leys and foothills, it is also the deciduous fruit which is chiefly 

 grown with irrigation. Most of the specific conclusions set forth in 

 Chapter XV are based upon experience with the peach and the 

 reader is advised to consider them from that point o{ view. One of 

 the most important points of success in irrigating the peach is to use 

 enough water earlier in its growth so that application need not be 

 made within about three weeks of ripening. Enough water before 

 that will usually insure size on properly thinned trees and the with- 

 holding of water near ripening will secure good quality. After the 

 crop is gathered, irrigation can be resumed to continue the late 

 summer growth for next year's fruit buds and to save the tree from 

 injury during the long autumn drouth. Very great disappointment 

 in thrift and bearing of peaches has resulted from lack of irriga- 

 tion in the early autumn in the interior valley. Even in places 

 where the trees make a good crop by rainfall or underflow, there 

 may be great injury to the tree by inadequate soil moisture during 

 the remainder of the growing season. 



There is some variation in practice of irrigation in relation to 

 maturity of the peach. It is held that peaches for drying should not 

 be irrigated during the last three or four weeks before maturity if 

 possible to get size without it. Peaches for shipping and canning 

 may be irrigated later, say two or even one week before picking. 

 Cling peaches will take water late more safely than freestones. 



WORKING OVER PEACH TREES 



The fashion in peaches changes from time to time according to 

 the demands of the canners or the market for dried fruit. The 

 grower often finds varieties which he first selected, less healthy, less 

 productive, or, for other reasons, less desirable than others. There 

 is, therefore, often occasion for working over trees. Budding is 

 often resorted to, buds being successfully set in quite old wood, 

 providing buds from well-matured wood are taken. Wood buds 

 from young trees unaccompanied by fruit are best, but because of 

 greater certainty of securing the variety desired, it is common to 

 take wood and fruit buds together from bearing trees. A larger cut 

 of bud and adjacent bark is taken when working in old bark than 

 for use on seedlings. The best time to bud peaches in the old bark 

 is as early in the summer as well plumped buds can be had on the 

 new growth, and this can be hastened by pinching the tips of the 

 shoots which it is desired to take buds from. Such .buds should be 

 forced to grow by cross cuts in the stock above the buds or by 

 breaking down part of it when the bud is seen to have "taken" 

 cutting away cleanly when the bud has made a few inches of growth. 

 Some growers thus bud and break part of the branches, allowing 

 others to remain unworked, to maintain the growing processes of 

 the tree. These branches and those in which buds have not taken, 

 are cut off and grafted the following spring. The almond is sucess- 



