216 POPULAR FRUIT GROWING. 



in the winter, they recover most quickly, if at all, by being cut 

 back severely. 



Location and soil. — The peach grows well even in quite 

 poor soil. In very rich soil it is liable to grow late in autumn 

 and the buds kill in winter. Some of the best orchards are on 

 very poor soil. It does best on high ridges, especially in loca- 

 tions exposed to the north and west. Southern slopes are liable 

 to start the buds too early. Where late spring and early au- 

 tumn frosts are prevented by proximity to water, as in Michi- 

 gan, the peach does well at the north, but as the northern limits 

 of peach growing are reached, extra skill is required to grow it. 



Thinning the fruit. — If the close pruning referred to is fol- 

 lowed, many fruit buds will be cut off and thus the crop is thin- 

 ned, but in addition to this, special thinning is most important 

 with the peach. If it sets fruit at all it generally sets too much, 

 and if all is allowed to grow the tree is weakened and the fruit 

 becomes small and poor. Trees that are thinned generally yield 

 as much fruit in quantity and that of much better quality than 

 trees not thinned. In thinning, take out all curculio-stung and 

 imperfect fruit as they are of no value. Thinning should be 

 done as soon as the imperfect fruit can be determined and after 

 the natural fall of small fruit has taken place. Thin to from 

 four to six inches apart on the branches. It often requires much 

 will power to do this, as such thinning will seem excessive at 

 the time it is done. 



Peach trees bear young, not infrequently at two years old. 

 The fruit of the peach is used fresh, for canning, evaporating 

 and as a kind of cider which yields brandy by distillation. 



Insects and diseases. — The trunk of the peach tree is fre- 

 quently injured by the Peach Borer, and the fruit by the Cur- 

 culio. The diseases of the peach are as follows: Brown Rot, 

 Leaf Curl, Scab, Postular Spot, Yellows, Rosette, Little Peach. 



Varieties. — There are many varieties of the peach. Grow- 

 ers must study the conditions in their own localities and the 

 adaptation of varieties to them. The most important varieties 

 in the North are Elberta, New Prolific, Kalamazoo, Smock and 

 Triumph, Those most Important In the South are Alexander, 

 Carmen, Elberta, Greensboro, ]\Tountain Rose and Sneed. 



