1228 



PEACH 



as Crawford (Fig. 1GC4), Oldmixon, Sal way, and the 

 like. The varieties of Peaches are many, although less 

 numerous than those of apples. An inventory of '\i 

 catalogues of American nurserj-men, in 1900, showed 

 291 varieties on the market. 



The Peach is a showy tree when in bloom. There are 

 double - flowered vaiieties (Fis. 1G6,")), which are as 





Peach 

 Peacli 

 and 1 

 flowei 



of flllll 



fords 



the greater size u( ili< 

 uieties liave nr\(i- 1. 

 o risks of wmtir i].ju. 

 of borers, ind the sin- 

 in bloom The flowi-rs 

 ible in both size and 

 that theie are sraall-tio 

 ties The character c 

 of the varietj as size oi 

 ,1 s tn o extremes The 

 the Alexander and \i 



isden 



Pn 



— 111 Pi ich IS always propagated bj 

 means oi stids The fiist jear the seedlin.<s ire 

 budded to the desired %ariety Tlie seed is planted on 

 the fiist opening of spring in rows tar enough ap irt to 

 allow of horse tillage, and the seeds ate dropped e\ ery 

 C to 8 inches in the row These seeds should ha^ e been 

 kept moist duimg thi winter Usuallj the) aie piled 

 out of doois, liting mixed with sind or gia\el ind al 

 lowed to freeze The shells aie then soft when plant 

 ing time arines and miny of the pits Mill be split 

 Then it \m11 not be necessaij to eiaek the pits In fh 

 nortliern states the tiees will be reidj for budding "i 

 August ind early bepteraher The buds are set eliisi i 

 the surf lee of the ground and thej do not start until 

 the following spring. The year succeeding the bud 

 ding, the bud should make a tree 3 to 6 feet in height 

 and at the end of that season it is ready for sale, that 

 is, the tree is sold when it is one season from the bud 

 In the southern states. Peach seedlings may be 1 irgi 

 enough to bud in June or early Julj of the \ear m 

 which the seeds are sown. The buds will then grow 

 that .season, and the trees be readj for sile thnt fall 

 That is, the whole process is completed iMtlini tin s| ic i 

 of one season. These "June-budded trees m ) j ul n 

 in the South, but they have never beconu ili r< ii.,lil\ 

 established in popular favor in the North 1 In \ u 

 very likely to be injured by the first wintei smi t th* 

 trees are not so well matured, as a rule, as the one ^ eai 

 old trees grown in the North. If, however, thev with 

 stand the first winter, they should make as good 



PEACH 



it may be more juicy. The soil in the great Peach sec- 

 tions of Michigan and the North Atlantic region is light 

 and loose. On Ii. :i\ > bm.Is the Peach is likely to grow 

 too late in tin fall ^imI i,. make too much wood. The 

 fruit isusiKdl> .,,1,1, «l,;,i l,,sver in color and tends to 

 be later in ri|iriiiiii,'. lli.- low color may be corrected, 

 however, by planting the tiees far apart, and by prun- 

 ing to open tops to admit the sun. 



Since the Peach blooms very early and the flowers 

 are liable to be killed by late spring frosts, it is import- 

 ant that the site on which the orchard is planted 

 should either be relatively free from late spring frosts 

 or such as to retard the bloom. In proximity to large 

 bodies of water, late spring frosts are less likely to 

 occur, and the tree blooms relatively late because the 

 water equalizes the climate and adjacent areas do not 

 warm up so quickly in the spring. This is particularly 

 along such large bodies of water as the Great 



Lake 



i.tllc 



weir 



whi 



Peach trees are always set 

 ear from the bud. The distance apart varies with dif- 



ferent soils difterent ] uts of the (ountiv and with dif 

 ferent groweis The standard and maximum distance 

 IS twenty feet apart eaeh wi\ If trees are planted at 

 thisdistiiiK thc\ nii> l( tilKdwitli ( is. andh.iding 



as others. For the details of propagation, see the article 

 on Graflrir/e. in Vol. II. 



Snitrnul P/ii iiting. -The Peach will thrne on most 

 any soil, providing the climate and site are congenial 

 The best Peach land, however, is that which is light and 

 sandy. On such lands the Peach develops its highest 

 color and its richest flavor, although on heavier lands 



in Iftheie 

 I It is the 



III 1 1 11 1 I 1 duce onl) 



I at It IS e IS) t ) juoduce an 



The trees grow to a great 



I \ irs, their tops are full of 



i I ! 1 1 I i u( holds verj late in the fall 



,1 tins ^cmnlh 1h ir tardily and m some cases 



are not productive They run to wood The winds 



them to pieces. The trouble lies fiist in the land. 



