MY FARM OF EDGEWOOD 



his garden poem; and Palladius advises that 

 it be grafted upon the almond '} will the nur- 

 serymen make trial? 



It will be remembered that in an early chap- 

 ter I made mention of certain dilapidated 

 peach trees upon the premises, which were even 

 then showing unfailing signs of the "yellows." 

 This vegetable dyspepsia has long since carried 

 them off. Indeed, there are but few belts of 

 land throughout New England where a man 

 may hope successful culture of this fruit.^ The 

 borer is an ugly enemy to begin with ; but with 



*It occurs in Tit. vii., Novem., where he discourses 

 of the peach. "Inseritur in se, in amygdala, in pruno: 

 sed ARMENIA, vel PR/ECOQUA prunis, duracina amygdalis 

 melius adharescunt," etc. 



* Since the original publication of this book, peach 

 culture has made great advances in Southern New Eng- 

 land, and there are shrewd fruit growers who make 

 large and profitable crops in many districts of Connec- 

 ticut and Massachusetts. The desiderata for success 

 would seem to be — a site for orchard secure from late 

 spring frosts— selection of vigorous stock — a free culti- 

 vation of the ground in early summer, with subsequent 

 mulching of the entire surface — untiring watchfulness 

 against the borer— judicious heading in of the top (in 

 late autumn or very early spring) , and liberal supply of 

 potash and bone material in way of dressing. 



Prof. Penhallow's observations and experiments at 

 Houghton Farm, N. J., would seem to promise full con- 

 quest of that old foe, the "Yellows." 



April, 1884. 



204 



