PEACHES— HOME PROPAGATION OF PEACH TREES 



1535 



Another nurseryman grades his trees year-old trees should always be planted 



according to height and caliper in the in preference to June buds, 



following manner: Maurice A. Blake, 



Grade 1-4 to 6 feet 9/16 inch and u„ ti^^'^^^ife'T-l't^'''"'''"™' ^^'^'"'^'''^ '^'"■ 



2-4 to 5 feet Vi to 0/16 incli 



" 3-3 to 4 feet 7/16 to % inch HOME FROPAOATION OF 



•• 4-3 to 4 feet % to 7/16 inch TRFF»i 



•• 5-2to3feet PtAt H IKthh 



6-1 to 2 feet Frank A. W AUG H 



In general, trees four to five feet in *,p,,g fl^st problem in starting a peach 

 height will caliper five-eighths of an inch orchard is, of course, to get the trees. 

 or more, but sometimes when grown too -p,^py ^^^ j,g bought or they may be 

 thickly in the nursery row they will not propagated on the farm where they are 

 be more than seven-sixteenths to one- f,, ^e grown. Either method has its ad- 

 half inch in diameter. A tree three to vantages and disadvantages. Home 

 four feet in height, which is well propagation has generally been under- 

 branched and will caliper five-eighths ^^^5^ either by men starting large or- 

 inch, is more desirable than a tree four chard enterprises or by amateurs having 

 to five feet which is of the same diameter. g^jali gardens. The former have had in 

 The ideal type of peach tree for planting yi^^ gyg^ advantages as reduction in 

 out is a one-year-old tree which will post of trees, certainty of delivery when 

 caliper one-half to five-eighths inch, is wanted, securing trees reliably true to 

 well branched and about three to four n^me, and immunity from damage which 

 feet in height. Some fruit growers prefer oftg^ occurs in shipment. Many of the 

 the largest trees which can be obtained amateurs have propagated their own 

 if they are well branched. These will trees for the sake of getting special va- 

 make a good growth if not too severely rieties which they could not easily buy 

 injured when dug. The large trees have from nurseries and in order to have trees 

 a more extended root system in the jrue to name, but chiefly for the fun of 

 nursery row, and a larger proportion of t|,g work. 



this is broken off when the trees are dug „, , ^. „ , x 



. , , ,, ^ The home propagation of peach trees 



than IS the case with the smaller trees. , ^ , ^, ^ ,, ~, -j i,, 



, , . has doubtless fallen oft considerably 



The larger trees are also more expensive .^, . ^, , , ^ ,^, , .. 



, . , . x- • within the last few years, although it 



to ship and require more time in prun- ,;, , , ^ ^ x, • i, ^ ,.• »• 



would be hard to prove this by statistics. 

 ing 



There appears to be a growing tendency 



On the other hand, one should not buy ^^^^^g ^^^^ ^^^.^^ orchard companies, how- 

 the smaller grades of trees which ^^^^ ^^ ,g^.^,g propagation to the nursery- 

 measure one to two feet in height unless ^^^ ,j,,^g ^^^^_^^ ^^^,1^ ^^^^ ^^j^y j^. 

 they are to be planted upon especially portant advantages in growing peach 

 good soil, as they often fail to make a ^^.^g^ ^^^j^ ^^ 3^;,^ especially adapted to 

 satisfactory growth, and it generally j,jg business, experienced workmen and 

 means an extra year of cultivation be- g^„ t,,g facilities for digging and handling 

 fore they come into bearing. And, al- ^^^^^ ,j,,^g nursery business has been 

 though a smaller proportion of the root ^^ ^g„ systematized in the last few years, 

 system of small trees is broken when g^^^^^ j^ naming have been so largely 

 they are dug in the nursery, they are eliminated, deliveries have so far im- 

 somewhat more likely to be injured from p^^^^^ ^^^ t,^g p^j^g^ ^,f nursery stock 

 becoming dry in transit than larger trees, j^^^g ^gg^^ reduced so near to the cost of 

 as the roots are very small and quickly production, that it hardly seems feasible 

 dried out. In general, then, trees of a f„^ f,jp f^^jj grower to compete with the 

 medium grade are better to purchase. nurseryman. Either business is a big 



First-class trees should not only be of undertaking by itself and very few men 



the proper size but free from scale, root 



galls, borers and peach "yellows." One- •CMiiiHy C'liil.^man. N'nv.'inl.i'r- n. iniL'. 



