THE POSSIBILITIES OF PEACH GROWING IN 

 NEW ENGLAND. 



BY ADIN A. HIXON, WORCESTER, MASS. 



Delivered before the Society, January 19, 1907. 



About three years ago I spoke before the members of this society 

 on "My Observations and Experience in Horticulture," incidentally 

 referring to the matter of the possibility of apple culture. The 

 newspapers made so much of my talk that within a week or ten days 

 I received fifty-eight letters, showing that we little know how much 

 influence we have or how much interest there is in these things. 



The peach is of Persian origin. Pliny says it has venomous 

 properties and was sent to Eg}^t by the kings for revenge. Gerard 

 says in 1579 that he had the peach in his garden. He says: "It 

 soon Cometh up, beareth fruit the third or fourth year after planting, 

 and it soon decayeth and is of not long continuance." 



As early as 1795 writers said something must be done to save the 

 peach crops. In 1807 Judge Peters states that his father had large 

 orchards fifty years before that yielded abundant crops and con- 

 tinued to do so for years with little attention. Then the trees began 

 to sicken and die. He speaks of other orchards being troubled 

 the same way by a disease that he later calls the yellows. His 

 courage was good, however, and he kept on planting every year. 

 He says: "Have had trees live twenty years, and have known trees 

 twice that age, yet I think four or five crops is the average life. 

 Have noticed that those on limestone soils and of that nature live 

 longest. After two years of excessive rain I lost 150 trees. From 

 perfect health they turned yellow and the bodies blackened. I 

 grubbed out every one. I did n't venture to replace them with 

 an^lhing grown near but got them from afar. I promptly renewed 

 ever\'thing on first symptoms of disease. I know of no more valuable 

 fruit than the peach and always have a new plantation coming along 



