94 FRUIT CULTURE. 



A moderate degree of vigor of growth and a 

 thorough ripening of the wood are essential con- 

 ditions to hardiness in cold latitudes. A warm, 

 floury loam, upon a subsoil which gives good nat- 

 ural drainage, is most suitable for the peach. If 

 the soil is too rich in vegetable matter or nitro- 

 genous manures, rank and immature wood is the 

 result. In England, where the soil and especially 

 the climate are usually moist, the peach is worked 

 almost always upon the plum stock, which prefers 

 a cooler and stronger soil. The tendency is also 

 to dwarf the tree and to promote longevity. 



In this country the results of grafting upon the 

 plum have not been as satisfactory as would seem 

 to be warranted in theory. Experiments in this 

 direction have been limited, and, so far, the im- 

 pression prevails that the trees are not as vigor- 

 ous and healthy as those upon the natural stock. 

 There is great difference, however, in the various 

 plum stocks, the horse plum, the Canada, St. 

 Julien, Damson, Myrobolan, etc., offering an im- 

 portant field for experiment, with the view to 

 obtain exemption from the root disease known 

 as the " yellows," as well as to extend the cul- 

 ture to moist localities. 



In the great peach region centring in Mary- 

 land, it is customary to take but two or three 

 crops from an orchard and then root up the trees. 



