96 BIGGIE ORCHARD BOOK 



apple, cherry, plum, and pear) produces its fruit 

 on wood of the preceding- year, that is, on one- 

 year-old wood. 



SPECIAL, CULTIVATION HINTS. The peach, to be 

 healthy and profitable, must be cultivated. In this 

 it is unlike the pear, cherry, etc., which sometimes 

 do fairly well in sod. Bxperienced peach growers do 

 not, as a rule, plow a bearing peach orchard until 

 after it has blossomed. Why not? For the same 

 reason that they often choose a north slope to retard, 

 so far as is possible, the blossoming period with its 

 liability to early frost injury. Remember that no 

 tree will die so quickly from ' ' wet feet ' ' as will the 

 peach (unless it is the cherry). 



PRINCIPAL INSECT PESTS. Aphis (lice): See 

 preceding chapter. 



Borers : The peach-tree borer is the most common 

 pest in this line, although the flat-headed borers of 

 the apple and cherry sometimes (not often) attack the 

 peach. For remedies, see Chapter IX. 



Curculio : The plum curculio often stings peaches. 



Fruit-bark beetle : A small black beetle which bores 

 tiny holes into the bark of upper twigs and limbs, and 

 then forms inner-bark burrows. This causes some of 

 the infested branches to wither and die. Remedies : 

 This beetle is most apt to attack unthrifty trees ; 

 therefore, good cultivation, fertilization, pruning, etc., 

 are helpful. Promptly burn all cuttings, so that the 

 larvae within may be destroyed. Early sprayings 

 with the Bordeaux-arsenical mixture. This insect is 

 sometimes called the ' ' pin borer. ' ' 



San Jose scale louse : Consult Chapter VIII. 



