PEACH 



to introduce into geni-ral in-actii-e the most improved 

 methods of culture. 



The Peach business on the whole li:i^ I" m |,iMiii;,l,l,- 

 to Delaware. The days, however, win n i.Tiunr- wire 

 made from a single crop, when a farm \\:iN lic.ii:;lii ,,i- u 

 large mortgage lifted in a single seas.ni, liavc jki^^iiI. 

 Once those times were linown in Delaware, but that was 

 before Georgia, the Carolinas, Arkansas, the Ozark 

 region of Missouri, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, 

 or Connecticut had entered into the business on their 

 present scale. Peach - growing is still attractive to 

 planters in Delaware. More money can be made in it 

 than in general farm crops. More attention is being 

 given to the selection of varieties, to the care and plant- 

 ing of orchards, the picking and handling of the crop, 

 and, last but not least, to the marketing of the fruit, with 

 as many middlemen eliminated as modern business 

 methods will allow. 



Peaches Carried by Pennsijlvania Jiuilroiid, Delaware 



■ ;,a-owth for each 



The first prun- 



lut three-fourths 



all small shoots 



The figures for 1900 include the peninsula, but not 

 two .small side lines. It is estimated that 1,000,000 

 baskets were carried by other means and that 500,000 

 were used by the canneries. Probably two-thirds of the 

 Peaches included in this estimate were grown in Dela- 

 ffae. Charles Wright. 



The Peach in Cauporkia.— There is no distinct 

 Peach belt in California, but the Peach is grown suc- 

 cessfully over a wide area and under varied climatic 

 conditions. Tourists generally talk of "the California 

 climate" as if it were one thing, but a glance at the 

 article California in this work will give the reader 

 some idea of the immense variety of climate and crop 

 conditions. 



A narrow strip along the coast is too cold for the 

 best quality of Peaches, even where frost is unknown. 

 A very few miles inland and up to an elevation of 2,000- 

 ;(,000 ft., the Peach is at home when the grower has 

 done his p.-irt. In a lar^e part of the state the best 



of tin- stati- ripen before those in the southern part. 

 'Vhf timi- of ripi iiing in the e.xtreme southern part does 

 imt vary nunh from that of southern Ohio, while 500 

 miles north in the Sacramento valley they ripen two to 

 four weeks earlier. In some of the warm foothill regions, 

 ^Vlexandcr begins to ripen the latter part of May. 



All kinds of care are given orchards, as one will find 



cutting out iniivi ,,r III,, Ml, 'ill -1,]., ~1 iM A fi'W are 



left to bear s ■ Innt iln, i lur.l m ar. lai.-li fall or win- 

 ter at least li.iir III., liii-iliiir III., main i.'i-..\vths is 



cut bai-k am! a n u ml ,. r i.l Iln i . iiiai 1 1 luu" siiiail bearing 

 Slmi.t- ar., 1,1, i ,1,! li li,, , I,, nilig shoots have 

 plnii , : ! , . i, , , 11 is best to cut off 



om- I: ::, , , il ;!,. V have no fruit- 



buil- I , ' 1,1, , ,- 1 liki-ly to haveif the 



tna. I ■, ,1, la, ,11 111. J ail. lift whole. This 



cutii.,- I ' . Inarinj; shoots aids very much in 



tin- 1 1; I tiiiit. The best practice is to cut 



out all !i I ruited the previous season. They 



nearly all .In .m.way. The tree looks much better 

 without thim and is supposed to be more healthy. 

 Nothing short of severe pruning secures the best results 

 under ordinary circumstances. 



There is no single operation of more importance than 

 the tliiimini,' nf tin. fruit, cviii al'li-r such thorough 

 pruiiiiiL' a- .,il...\ ., .1. ...-ril..,.!. 'I'lnrr are many methods 



of tlin.iiiiiL'. rii.- ..Ill- iliai ran I mmunicated the 



easirsi ami | iMyili., l.,,--i 1 l..,..aiisi. any one can do 



itiis 1,. |.iill ..II all l.iii m.. I'., aril. 'v rnim each bearing 



-I I. \ .1,..'. n ..I- m..r.- iinv 1 11 ilir shoot, but tliey 



1NI1-! I" i,il I. 'I'll. ii-iirl -!,■.■ of such shoots is 



,il...at ::,i|, .,t an iimI li; 1. r. If they should 



i.r alii.nt ' , iii.li ill .liamri. r, tliri r four Peaches are 



left. The time to thin is when the Peaches are about 

 •% inch in diameter. At this size they are likely to re- 

 main on the tree (the "May drop" being pasti, and if 

 thinniiii; is iiroiiiptly done the tree's waste of strength 

 will I., -tnill Til..-., who think this is severe thinning 

 slmiiM ■ iliat any fruit, both in bulk and 



weiL'li - as large as one that has only half 



its. Ill I I ..VI. method of pruning and thinning 



Th. 



is all 1 



The Irs, ran-fnl liav., Iraninl thai il,. ,,■ 1- mil, m..ii. ^ 

 in the orchard business. 



In the preparation of the soil, deep plowing is all 

 that is usually done. California soils are generally 

 about the same all the wav dnwn. but vary much in 

 depth. Good Pca.-li ..r.lianl ,,il I,,,uI,I be not less 

 than 4 feet deep, an,' , i ' i : |, liable. 



The trees are u-M,, i ■ ,i|.art. In the 



southern part of th.— I .1 . ,..1 |,i,,, .,. is to grow 



nothing between Uh Un^.r.in il,. lir-i ., , ar. The till- 

 age is thorough, deep and freiiueiit. After February 1. 

 tillage is given in two directions after each rain, care 

 being taken to complete the work before the soil can 



■ ■ , ■ , •-..III r ,a-.,|,. \. .1, la ilK.lt pays. 



, ,, .11 I ■ ' ii..riii,. :-i ,, 1:.. . . iv Foster 



lairh an. I l.al. 1 1 ,nM'. .r.l . M 1 1 1 r a ni I ^al^.,■l^ fi.rfree- 



stniies. Till- Orange and Lemon Clings, for I'lings, are 

 largely used by the canneries. Levi Cling is largely 

 planted in some of the foothill regions. There are 

 many other varieties planted in a small way. Some of 

 the newer kinds give promise of taking a place among 

 the regulars. A good variety of Peach for California 

 must have large fruits and plenty of them, which will 

 ship well and dry well. 'White Peaches are but little 

 used. The canneries are paying the best prices for good 

 yellow clings. 



Three or four irrigations, about a month apart, are 

 usually given. The furrow system is the prevalent one. 



