PEACH 



headed-back to a whip 18-24 inches high, and all young 

 shoots are afterwards rubbed off except 4 or 5 for the 

 top. Young orchards are usually well cultivated tintil 

 from August 1 to 15. Aphids, if they attack the top, 

 are destroyed by strong tobacco water or kerosene 

 emulsion. If the aphids attack the roots a handful of 



PEACH 



1239 



Dissolved South Carolina rock and muriate of potash 

 makes one of the best fertilizers. Raw bone is more 

 expensive, and it is doubtful if it is better than South 

 Carolina rock. From 600-1,000 Ibs. may be applied per 

 acre broadcast in the winter or early spring. Wood 

 ashes are good but hard to obtain. Bearing orchards 

 are generally plowed in April, 3-4 inches deep, harrowed 

 thoroughly with a smoothing harrow, and afterward 

 kept in clean culture. The gang-plow and the sulky- 

 cultivator are frequently used. Under favorable condi- 

 tions orchards live and bear good crops 20-25 years, 

 though the best crops are obtained between the years of 

 five and fifteen. 



Thinning of the fruit is not generally practiced in 

 Delaware, but this is one of the problems that is receiv- 

 ing more serious thought and will be given greater 

 attention in the future. In 1900 the trees and prices 

 suffered severely from lack of thinning. The pickers 

 and packers are paid 8-12 cents an hour. In the orchard 

 the fruit is picked in five-eighths baskets, taken to a 

 central packing house where it is carefully graded, then 

 loaded on spring wagons holding about 150 baskets and 

 taken directly to the station for shipment, or for sale 

 to the buyers. The fruit is generally graded into two 

 grades, the first containing the largest fruit, and the 

 second good-sized perfect Peaches. The smaller grades 

 are taken to the canning factories. 



1677. Peach growing in Georgia. View in the Hale orchards, Fort Valley. (Seep. 1232.) 



good tobacco dust applied, after removing the surface 

 soil, will generally kill them. Orchards are cultivated 

 in corn, potatoes, tomatoes, etc., or any other hoed crop 

 until they come into bearing at 3-5 years ; after this 

 they should have the entire ground, with no other crop 

 except crimson clover or cow-peas for humus in years 

 when there is no fruit. Corn is not as desirable as 

 some low-growing, cultivated crop, like potatoes or 

 tomatoes, which can be manured highly and at the 

 same time not interfere with the trees. Under no con- 

 dition should the trees be seeded in grain or grass, and 

 clean cultivation should be given each year. The trees 

 are usually examined for borers at least once a year and 

 sometimes twice. 



The pruning is done in fall or winter. No heading- 

 back of bearing trees is practiced, but no doubt many of 

 the young orchards now being planted will be grown in 

 this manner. Dead wood is removed annually and the 

 top kept open to admit the sun so as to color the fruit. 

 A low wagon is often used for hauling out the brush. 



In the nursery the trees are always propagated by 

 budding. At one time it was supposed that natural 

 seeds produced the best and healthiest trees, but expe- 

 rience has shown that no trees are better or healthier 

 than those grown from seed taken from the most vigor- 

 ous orchards. 



3. Marketing. Formerly all of the fruit was picked 

 in baskets, packed in crates holding three pecks, and 

 shipped to the commission men of the various markets. 

 At the present time a very large proportion of the crop 

 is sold in five-eighths baskets to the buyers at the rail- 

 road station. This method of marketing is the most 

 satisfactory way to dispose of a Peach crop. The buyers 

 generally pay cash, and the grower with the money in 

 his pocket is relieved of all the worry connected with 

 freights, commission men, and the like. Some of the 

 finest fruit is packed in carriers holding 6 baskets, and 

 is sold at fancy prices, either at the station or in the 

 general market. Refrigerator cars, holding 600 to 800 

 baskets, are used for fruit that requires two days to 



