74 MAKING HORTICULTURE PAY 



" I have a peach orchard five years old, and 

 trained by this method, that has but fev;^ equals. 

 •When in its third year it produced one-half bushel 

 of really choice fruit to the tree. The next year it 

 produced three baskets to the tree, and in its fifth 

 year it produced four baskets to the tree. The 

 proceeds from these three crops averaged over 

 $1,400 an acre, and the orchard is just coming into 

 prime bearing." 



As to harvesting, W. G. Gano of Platte county, 

 Missouri, says : " I pick my fruit in peck baskets, 

 picking nothing but the perfect, well-matured fruit, 

 and just as the specimen is beginning to soften, so 

 that by the next morning it is ready for the retail 

 trade. The peach is a perishable fruit, and to en- 

 joy its rich, luscious, saccharine taste, which it can 

 only acquire by fully maturing on the tree, it must 

 have a near market and quick and careful convey- 

 ance for the consumer to enjoy all of these quali- 

 ties, which make it at once the most luscious, 

 healthful, and popular fruit in our market. 



" In hot weather I aim to pick each tree every 

 day, and never longer than every other day, and I 

 am from two to four weeks in handling every 

 variety. One year I was four weeks handling my 

 Elbertas, and picked peaches six days in the week. 

 I try to have trusty, experienced men for my pick- 

 ers, and for the packers I prefer girls." 



Concerning varieties, W. A. Cooper of Ottawa 

 county, Ohio, writes : " The hardiest varieties I 

 have tested are Salway, Smock, Elberta, IMountain 

 Rose, Oldmixon, and Lemon Free. The most 

 profitable early sorts with me are Mountain Rose, 

 Early Crawford, and Early St. John, while the most 

 profitable mid-season fruits are Briner, Elberta, 

 Lemon Free, and Francis. Our best late varieties 



