PEACH GROWING IN NEW ENGLAND. 29 



potash, occasionally nitrate of soda or nitrate of potash. Always 

 keep your foliage of deep green shade, but be careful not to induce 

 an excessive growth late in the season. Get your gro^^i;h early in 

 the season so as to have it mature before cold weather. Do not 

 trim until spring, for each tree will be a protection to itself. Strong 

 growing varieties on strong lands may be planted twenty feet apart; 

 on lighter lands, fifteen feet apart. 



When setting out the trees carefully trim all broken roots and cut 

 the tree to two and two and half feet from the ground, removing all 

 side branches. When planting examine carefully for borers. If 

 there are any dig them out and apply strong solution of whale-oil 

 soap with the addition of a small c[uantity of potash. Examine 

 the trees every spring and again in July and iVugust. The fruit 

 should be thinned, as an over-production tends to weaken the trees, 

 making them more liable to disease and insect pests. A good time 

 for the thinning out is when the fruit is about the size of a small 

 walnut, the latter part of June or in July, depending upon the 

 varieties, early or late. The first two or three years beans or vine 

 crops may be planted. Afterwards I would cultivate to keep the 

 weeds down until the latter part of July or August 1, when peas, 

 vetch, or crimson clover may be sown to serve as a cover crop or 

 mulch through the winter, ploughing under in the spring to furnish 

 vegetable matter. 



A man starting peach growing would do well to notice what is 

 being done in his neighborhood, and be governed somewhat by 

 local growers as to varieties to grow. I believe in the possibilities 

 of New England in many things, especially peach growing. I think 

 those men who are putting so much time and money in the produc- 

 tion of milk would find it much more profitable and enjoy life much 

 better if they devoted their time and energy to peach growing. 



Discussion. 



Elmer B. Parker of Wilton, New Hampshire, spoke on tlie sub- 

 ject of the day substantially as follows: 



"My experience in growing peaches is limited to a small section 

 of southern New Hampshire, our farm being on the extreme northern 

 limit of the peach belt. There are several towns near us where 



