92 



Preservation of Peach Trees. 



Vol. VII. 



Preservation ©f Peach Trees. 



Whitemarsh, Sept. 1st, 1842. 



To the Editors of the Farmers' Cabi- 

 net, — Having to a certain extent, succeeded 

 in the cultivation of the peach in a limestone 

 soil, generally considered uncongenial to its 

 growth, I forward by your request, a short 

 account of the method of cultivation and 

 mode of nursing adopted. 



The soil of the peach orchard is underlaid 

 with primitive limestone, but is not of the 

 yellow cast and tenacious texture, so gene- 

 ral in limestone regions; which, however 

 adapted to the growth of wheat, has but little 

 affinity with any description of fruit. It is, 

 on the contrary, a rich loam, and constitutes 

 a part of the garden enclosure, the trees oc- 

 cupying about half an acre, and bordering on 

 the Wissahickon creek. This location, in 

 the immediate vicinity of the water, may 

 possibly have a beneficial effect. 



The orchard, consisting of about fifty trees, 

 was planted in the spring of 1836. At the 

 time of planting the ground was in grass, 

 but was then subjected to the action of the 

 plough, and has since been thoroughly tilled 

 every year, yielding alternately heavy crops 

 of sugar beets, potatoes and ruta baga. The 

 trees have also been examined once, and 

 sometimes twice a year, for worms, but have 

 not generally been much infested by them 



This comparative exemption is no doubt 

 in consequence of the various alkaline sub- 

 stances which have been successfully used. 

 The most remarkable and immediate effect 

 has followed the use of what is termed "fall- 

 en lime," fresh from the kiln; which, when 

 applied in the proportion of about half a peck 

 to the roots of unhealthy trees, and covered 

 with earth, has restored a healthy colour to 

 the leaves; and trees which did not look 

 worth a week's purchase, have produced fair 

 crops of good fruit in after years. Ashes 

 from anthracite coal, have also been applied 

 with very good effect. These applications 

 have usually been made in the spring, but 

 occasionally later in the season. This year, 

 wood ashes were used in June, with a marked 

 benefit. Soap suds also have been applied 

 to advantage. In fact, any substance, which 

 by its caustic quality is destructive of insect 

 life, must be beneficial, provided it be not 

 applied in quantities sufficient to injure ve- 

 getation. It is an interesting and encou- 

 raging circumstance, that several substances 

 combine the properties of destructiveness to 

 insectivorous life, with a direct and positive 

 stimulating effect upon vegetation. In illus- 

 tration of this fact, iny friend Dr. Noble, has 

 applied oil soap to a portion of his extensive 



peach orchard, in the State of Delaware, to 

 manifest advantage. 



The mild weather of January and Febru- 

 ary, will sometimes bring forward vegetation, 

 so that the peach trees are liable to blossom 

 prematurely. An attempt has been made 

 to obviate this difficulty, by covering the 

 roots about the body of the trees with wheat 

 straw, when the ground is deeply frozen in 

 winter. This process, by retarding vegeta- 

 tion, has secured them from the danger of 

 the late frosts. 



When, however, an intensely severe frost 

 occurs late in winter, so as to freeze the germ 

 of the fruit, which is developed very early, 

 all expectation of a crop must be abandoned. 

 This misfortune is easily verified, by an ex- 

 amination of the germ, when the embryo 

 peach will be found black and blasted. 



These observations are not set forth under 

 the impression that they are new, for doubt- 

 less they are familiar to those enterprising 

 farmers, who, by their successful cultivation, 

 supply our city markets with this most 

 healthy and delicious fruit; — such an uni- 

 versal favourite, that it would be an era in a 

 lifetime, to find a man who did not like a 

 peach. It is to be hoped that larger and 

 more successful producers, may be induced 

 to favour you with a detail of their mode of 

 operations, to the advantage of the agricul- 

 tural community and the public at large, 

 whose interests indeed are identical. 



The writer had the pleasure of examining 

 the extensive peach orchard of Major Rey- 

 bold, near Delaware City, in the month of 

 May; at which time that enterprising farmer 

 had a prospect, as he stated, of about half a 

 crop. It covered 120 acres of land, and con- 

 tained 1*2,960 trees. His half a crop has 

 produced 6,000 baskets, which have been 

 chiefly sent to the New York market. A 

 remarkable fact in connection with the pro- 

 duce of this and the neighbouring orchards, 

 was mentioned by him and confirmed by se- 

 veral other gentlemen of that vicinity. A 

 cold north-west breeze had prevailed during 

 an afternoon while the trees were in bloom, 

 which was accompanied in the evening by 

 so severe a frost, that the total failure of the 

 peach crop was anticipated. About 11^ 

 o'clock at night the wind changed to south- 

 east, which blowing over Delaware bay, so 

 far modified by its mildness and moisture, 

 the air of that portion of the orchard which 

 was nearest the water, and descended to- 

 wards it, that the blossom was saved. The 

 other portion of the same orchard, which in- 

 clined inland, and had received the full force 

 of the cold blast, was almost a total failure. 



From the healthy appearance and vigorous 

 growth of many of my trees, I have a hope 



