IKKKiATioN FOIL T1IK ORCHARD. XMKJ 



well-imdcrtlraini'd soil is best for the peach, and mucli 

 "puttering around " in the soil preparation can lie << m- 

 mended. Leave nothing undone in preparing the plant- 

 ing ground. The trees should stand fifteen to eighteen 

 feet apart and should never he older than one year from 

 the bud. All branches should be removed at time of 

 planting, allowing nothing to stand but the straight 

 trunk, which should be cut back to three feet. A north- 

 ern exposure, or locations exposed to cool breezes night 

 -and day in early spring, and where the frost remains in 

 the ground late in the spring, are natural advantages. 

 The soil should always be cultivated and nothing but 

 hoed crops should be grown in the orchard. After the 

 trees come into bearing nothing should be grown, as 

 they will need all the substance. 



Cultivation should begin with the opening of spring, 

 and be kept up until the fruit is plucked. The shorten- 

 ing in of all new growth, and cutting away of all dead and 

 injured wood, must be carefully attended to. During 

 the first year the irrigation should be given in furrows 

 along each side of the row, and some growers even go so 

 far as to make borders around the trees, with dirt piled 

 against the trunks so as to prevent contact from water. 

 The water is turned on only as often as the condition of 

 the soil demands. Great injury is often resultant from 

 indiscriminate use of w r ater in peach culture. In irrigated 

 countries the majority of orchardists will turn on the 

 water when the topsoil looks dry, whereas if they would 

 but examine the earth at the roots they would find it 

 damp enough. During the second year it is the custom 

 of some growers to make one border between the rows, 

 and irrigate the entire intermediary space in this way. 

 This is done by Mr. James Curry of Espanola, New 

 Mexico, who is one of the best peach growers- in the 

 West. After a good soaking a thorough harrowing and 

 leveling down is given. The furrow would answer just 



