256 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



1 Cahoon's Seedling, 4 Early, 1 Giant, 2 Victoria. 

 Six hundred Strawberry Plants, viz., 100 Hovey's 

 Seedling, 100 Large Early Scarlet, 100 Burr's New 

 Pine, 100 Hooker, 100 Walker, 100 Hudson.— 

 Rural Annual. 



PEACH GROWING. 



The peach is very extensively cultivated in this 

 locality, and has proved to be one of the most prof- 

 itable fruits, on account of our easy access to mar- 

 ket. Although grown in abundance, of the choicest 

 variety — such as have been sold in the New York 

 and Boston markets, for health and beauty, com- 

 manding an exorbitant price — the cultivation of 

 this delicious fruit labors under many of the diffi- 

 culties which are embarrassing the peach-growers 

 of many other parts of the country. And without 

 a knowledge of these difficulties, and the modes of 

 propagation and cultivation, no one here ever ac- 

 complishes much in peach-growing, generally giving 

 it up at the failure of the first trial, — being well 

 satisfied in his own mind that the soil was not the 

 right kind for his undertaking, which afterwards, 

 in the hands of others, has grown heavy crops, to 

 his surprise. 



My experience in growing the peach, as regards 

 success, has been very satisfactory, and the time I 

 have given to its culture has been very much occu- 

 pied by its careful observation and study, without 

 which my undertaking here would have been fruit- 

 less. I have grown the peach on light sandy soil^ 

 and also on loam and that which was more clayey; 

 but I prefer a sandy loam, in a middhng state of 

 cultivation, in order that such fertilizing material 

 as the peach requires may be added to it, and in 

 doing this, bring the land up to a proper state of 

 cultivation. 



In propagating the trees, I select seed from trees 

 which are thrifty and free from disease, and prefer 

 it from the later varieties, as they are more matured 

 and produce the hardiest stocks, which shoi;ld be 

 inoculated with the choicest varieties, from trees 

 free from any contamination. I am careful to se- 

 lect both from trees and kinds which are the best 

 growers and bearers, as much of the profit depends 

 on such a selectien. I prefer the Early York, Or- 

 ange, Jaques Rareripe, Oldmixon, Ward''s Freestone, 

 CraiDforcfs Early and Late, Melocoton, and SraocTc, 

 as they prove to be our most productive and best 

 varieties for market. Some speak much in favor of 

 Heatli's Cling, but I oppose its culture, as it can be 

 substituted by better varieties. 



In planting an orchard, I prefer trees grown one 

 year from the bud, that will average three and a 

 half to five feet in height, and cut back to two and 

 a half for the formation of the head, which must 

 be cut back annually until it is fully formed, at the 

 same time pruning so as to furnish the tree with a 

 regular and constant number of bearing shoots. 

 Trees commence bearing about the third year, and 

 continue for six years and upwards, with the best 

 cultivation, which is done by plowing two or three 

 times in summer, followed by harrowing, to keep 

 the surface mellow ; no crops to be grown during 

 this time. 



The diseases which affect the peach tree are the 

 yellows, mildew, and curl of the leaf; and they are 

 also at times infected by an insect, (the Algeria 

 Exetoisa^ or Borer,) which deposits its eggs m the 



tender bark at the foot of the trunk, from the mid- 

 dle of June to the middle of September. My rem- 

 edies are as follows: — For yellows, remove every 

 tree, root and branch, as soon as you find it infect- 

 ed. For mildew, use a solution of one ounce of 

 nitre to a gallon of water, apply it to the affected 

 parts by a syringe ; it tends to add vigor and health 

 to the tree; dusting with sulphur is of less impor- 

 tance. For the curl of the leaf not much can be 

 done; I believe it to be caused by a change of 

 weather, — a cause which will often remedy itself; 

 some say it is caused by an insect, and such use a 

 sprinkling of soap suds : this remedy contains pot- 

 ash, and will do the tree much good as a fertilizing 

 agent when applied to the soil. To remedy the 

 borer, take a sharp knife and cut it out, once in 

 June and again in September ; it is easily found by 

 an exudation near the crown of the roots. For 

 these affections remedies are good, but I prefer in 

 part the preventive, which is judicious cultivation. 

 Sergeantsville, N. J. G. H. LA.KISON, M. D. 



SHEEP vs. HOGS IN OECHAKDS. 



No doubt, if one wishes to cultivate an orchard, 

 hogs will do more of that kind of work than sheep ; 

 there "T. of Baldwinsville" and myself are at 

 agreement. I also agree with him that hogs are 

 the best animals for picking up fallen fruit, during 

 the summer, and usually turn them in when the 

 fruit begins to fall in any quantity. But my expe- 

 rience in pasturing hogs in orchards differs from 

 his, and I am led to prefer sheep for that purpose. 

 Let me state some particulars, in addition to those 

 given in my communication in the June Farmer. 



1. As to gnawing the trees. We have kept she«p 

 in our orchard more or less for several years, and 

 they have never injured an apple tree yet. Our 

 hogs, on the contrary, have stripped the bark from 

 several large trees — one of them dying in conse- 

 quence. 



2. As to cultivation. Our hogs have done very 

 little at this, and can never prove a substitute for 

 the plow and harrow, unless far more industrious. 

 They have rooted some in the corners of the fences, 

 and under the thickest^topped trees where little 

 grass grew, encouraging the growth of weeds, and 

 injuring rather than benefitting the orchard. 



3. As to keeping down weeds. It is not neces- 

 sary in an orchard to have the grass eaten to the 

 root, to compel sheep to eat weeds, as "T." de- 

 clares. I would never have any pasture eaten 

 down close if I could help it, and generally manage 

 to change from one pasture to another frequently, 

 that there may always be a fair bite of grass. If 

 sprouts come out upon the body of a tree within 

 reach of the sheep, they will be trimmed off, and 

 in young orchards, I do not think it would answer 

 to pasture either sheep or swine. 



4. Many farmers have orchards furnishing far 

 more pasture than their hogs can consume. In this 

 case calves and sheep may occupy the same field a 

 portion of the time ; for we would not mow an or- 

 chard, if it were possible to consume the grass as 

 it grew. A thick sod, whether covered with long 

 or short grass, does not afford the best growth to 

 the roots of apple trees beneath it, but if kept 

 short and well manured by sheep, it will be in a 

 better state than otherwise. 



