27 



BULLETIN OF 



Massachusetts Boakd of Agriculture. 



PEACH CULTURE. 



I?y F. A. Waugh, Profex.<or of Horticulture, Masxitchusetts At/riciiltunil College. 



Interest in peach culture has evidently increased very greatly in New 

 England during the last few years. In spite of unusually severe freezes 

 during ^\•inters of 1902-03 and 1903-04, there have been several good 

 crops gathered during the last five years. In most cases reasonable 

 profits have been made, and in some instances the returns have been 

 so large as to be fairly remarkable. 



There is every reason to believe that the peach business in New 

 England will continue to be an attractive commercial proposition. 

 The uncertainty of the winters is of course a draw"back, but aside from 

 this the situation is altogether favorable. We have directly at hand the 

 fine.st market on this continent. The difficult problems of long-distance 

 .shipment, refrigerator car service, icing charges, etc., which confront 

 the southern peach grower, are entirely eliminated from our calcula- 

 tion. Not only can our fruit be put into market much more cheaply 

 and quickly, but on that account it can be presented to the customers 

 in much better condition. For all these reasons the net prices realized 

 by New England peach growers are bound to be very much greater 

 than those received by the peach growers of the south. It thus seems 

 altogether probable that the investment in commercial peach growing 

 in New England will be substantially increased during the next few 

 years. 



Peaches may be grown in all parts of Massachusetts. They may be 

 made commercially successful in the majority of towns in the State. 

 In the highest localities and in some of the towns along the coast 

 peach growing cannot be safely undertaken on a large scale. In. every 

 locality it is advisable to plant peach trees only on land specially suited 

 to this crop. 



Soils .\ni) Exposuues. 



There is a general understanding that peaches should be planted 

 on a north or northea.stern exposure; that is, upon land sloping towards 

 the north or northeast. This rule rests upon the fact tluit land sloi)ing 



