50 THE PEACH. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



THE PEACH {PRUNUS PERSICA), 



IMPORTANCE — ORIGIN — PROPAGATION — ORCHARD — FERTILIZA- 

 TION — AGE OF BEARING — WINTER PROTECTION — THINNING THE 

 FRUIT — VARIETIES — GATHERING MARKETING — INSECTS — DIS- 

 EASES — ROT. 



In importance, as a money crop, the Peach stands second in the 

 list of large fruits. It is a healthful and nutritive fruit, when 

 perfectly ripe, and liked by all. To reach its best condition, the 

 Peach must be ripened upon the tree, but when shipped a long 

 distance, it cannot be allowed to ripen before picking. 



Origin. — The Peach is supposed to have originated in Asia, 

 from the bitter almond. It has long been cultivated in Southern 

 Asia, China, and Southern Europe, and is much esteemed as an 

 article of food and luxury. Its successful cultivation has always 

 been confined largely to the Southern temperate zone, as the tree 

 is naturally tender and liable to injury from sudden climatic 

 changes. In favorable locations and under the proper treatment 

 it is, however, often a profitable crop even north of the 42d 

 parallel. 



Propagation. — It is propagated by budding upon seedlings 

 that are grown in the nursery, instead of the seed-bed, as with 

 the apple and pear. The seeds that produce the best stocks are 

 those from strong, healthy, natural, new-budded seedlings. Most 

 of the seed used by nurserymen is obtained from Virginia and 

 Tennessee, where natural fruit is largely grown, and where it is 

 claimed the disease known as the "yellows" has not made its ap- 

 pearance. 



The pits may be planted either in the fall or in the spring. In 

 fall planting they should be covered about two inches deep, if the 

 soil is heavy, or three inches if light, in rows four feet apart and 

 three or four inches in the row. In spring planting, the pits are 

 "bedded" the fall previous; that is, placed in a bed about six or 

 eight inches deep in layers first two inches thick of seeds, then 

 two inches of soil, and so on until all the pits ai-e put in; making 

 the bed from six to ten inches thick. The action of the frost 

 cracks the stones so that the kernels will most of them shell out 



