216 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



winter. It should be examined before planting in the spring and 

 those pits that are not cracked by frost should be broken by a ham- 

 mer. Stocks (a) Seedlings from natural fruit are preferred, i. e., 

 those which have not been worked and from sections where the peach 

 is healthy and free from yellows. A favorite source of peach stock 

 is in parts of Tennessee and Kentucky where the peach grows in 

 thickets, (b) Plum stocks are sometimes used for the peach where 

 it is grown in heavy moist soil, but is seldom used in commercial 

 peach growing, (c) The peach buds easily. The seedlings should 

 be worked the first season, when they will be 18 to 24 inches high. 

 If the stock is larger, the buds will grow too large the first year. 

 (U. S. E. S. B. 178.) 



ESTABLISHING AND MANAGING PEACH ORCHARDS. 



Select a proper site for the orchard. Avoid lowlands and sites 

 much exposed to severe prevailing winds. Choose a well drained 

 soil though not one likely to suffer from drought. Avoid wet soils 

 or fields with wet portions even if they lie at some elevation. Select 

 varieties which will be likely to suit your conditions of soil, market 

 and system of management. In general, choose standard sorts which 

 have shown their worth. A list of standard sorts is as follows: 

 Greensboro, Carman, Mountain Rose, Champion, Belle of Georgia, 

 Elberta, Fox Seedling and Steven's Rareripe. Mountain Rose lacks 

 shipping quality and is quite susceptible to rot except under favor- 

 able conditions. Because of its season of ripening, however, it has 

 often found a strong market. Champion is also quite susceptible to 

 rot except under the most favorable conditions. Other sorts which 

 have proved profitable in some localities are Old Mixon, Iron Moun- 

 tain and Reeve's Favorite. Niagara is one of the promising new 

 varieties. 



Order the trees several months in advance of the time when they 

 will be needed for planting. When placing an order, state definitely 

 not only the number of trees of each variety wanted but also the 

 grade of trees desired in terms of height and caliber. Always plant 

 one-year-old trees. These are much to be preferred to June buds. 

 Two-year-old trees should not be purchased. Vigorous, compact, 

 medium to large, one-year-old trees are the best to plant. Avoid 

 weak trees and any that are severely injured by borers or affected 

 with root gall. Do not pay excessive prices for trees of standard 

 varieties. When the trees arrive from the nursery unpack them at 

 once; note if your order is properly filled, and if the roots of the 

 trees are dry they should be placed in water for a short time. If they 

 should be infested with root aphis, dip in a whale-oil soap solution, 

 made up at the rate of one pound of soap to three gallons of water. 

 Before planting the trees examine them carefully for borers and 

 destroy any which may be found. Do not set weak or severely in- 

 jured trees. If the soil is not frozen, take the trees to the site of the 

 orchard, prune them and heel them in ; they will then be ready for 

 setting when needed. In pruning, cut back the trees so they will 

 not be higher than two feet above the point where they were orig- 



