340 Notes on Peaches in the West in 1867. 



NOTES ON PEACHES IN IHE WEST IN 1867. 



Peaches went through " much tribulation." In March, about the 24th, a 

 careful examination of buds in my orchard disclosed the fact, that, on the 

 average, three-fifths of the fruit-buds were killed. This, however, left more 

 than enough for a heavy crop of fruit. On the morning of the 7 th of May, 

 the thermometer stood at thirty-two degrees. At this time, peach-trees were 

 mostly just out of bloom, but had not cast the enveloping calyx from the young 

 fruit. Thus while apples in full bloom, and pears, suffered extremely, 

 peaches, to a considerable extent, escaped. Hale's Early, Early Tillotson, 

 Troth's Early, Red Rareripe, Magnum Bonum, Columbia, Late Admirable, 

 White Heath, Delaware White, and Smock were quite full of fruit. Craw- 

 ford's Early, Yellow Rareripe, and Crawford's Late, were badly thinned out ; 

 whilst such sorts as Large Early York, Morris White, La Grange, and 

 Heath Cling, had a medium crop. 



During the early part of the season, well into June, there was excessive 

 wet, and after that period a prolonged drought, lasting entirely through the 

 peach season, and showing its effect in the diminished size of the fruit, 

 and, in some cases, in a lack of well-matured specimens ; but, as a general 

 rule, the drought was more favorable to the ripening of reniform varieties 

 than the weather of ordinaiy seasons. 



HalSs Early was here decidedly in advance of any other variety in its 

 period of ripening ; and this is the general experience, although our Ken- 

 tucky friends report it as no earlier than Early Tillotson with them the 

 past season. Here I began picking and shipping it five days in advance 

 of the Early I'iUotson, six before Troth's Early, and fourteen before 

 Lai'ge Early York. It is a highly-colored and beautiful peach, of good 

 quality, and great hardiness and productiveness. The tree in its young 

 growth is vigorous ; but later I see a whitening of the surface of the leaves 

 such as accompanies mildew. Whether this is a cause or effect of rot, I 

 cannot now determine ; but here, and nearly everywhere, the report is, that 

 this variety is rotting. The early part of its season, the fruit of this sort 

 began to rot with me, especially on some trees standing on richer and lower 

 ground. Then the sudden drought seemed to check the farther propagation 



