CHAPTER 36 



Stone Fruits 



By F. C. Sears 

 Professor of Pomology, Massachusetts Agricultural College 



Sites and Soils. — As a class the stone fruits do best on relatively high 

 lands, principally on account of the effects of elevation on temperature. 

 When peaches are injured by cold it is usually either by extremely low 

 temperature in the winter or by frosts during the blossoming period. 

 With cherries and plums the damage almost always comes at blossoming- 

 time. As all of these fruits bloom early, they are particularly liable to 

 frost injury and it becomes necessary to guard against it. 



Both these types of injury can be lessened and often largely prevented 

 by placing the orchards on sites which are higher than the surrounding 

 lands, thus allowing the cold air to drain away onto the lower levels. Occa- 

 sionally the lower sites bring their crops through in better shape than the 

 high ones. An instance of this kind was the winter of 1913-14 when 

 extremely low temperatures were accompanied by very high winds. This 

 combination did much more damage to orchards on high lands than to 

 those on low lands. But on the average higher sites are much to be 

 preferred. 



As to the direction of the slope, two points are worth considering. A 

 northerly slope retards the blossoming and so helps to escape spring- 

 injury. But, as just suggested, it may increase the danger from severe 

 winter temperatures. Consequently, if one is in a section where the 

 former type of injury is most likely to occur a northerly slope is to be 

 preferred. But if the damage is generally done by low winter tempera- 

 tures, a southerly slope is best. 



For soils the stone fruits are not very exacting. Peaches prefer rela- 

 tively light soils, but will do well in almost any soil up to a moderately 

 heavy clay loam. Plums and cherries, especially the former, do best on 

 medium to fairly heavy soils, heavy sandy loams to medium clay loams. 

 Good soil drainage is absolutely essential. 



Nursery Stock. — Medium grades of nursery stock of the stone fruits, 

 from four to six feet tall, are to be preferred. This is especially important 

 in peaches, for these are always set at one year old and where one wants 

 to head them at all low and start a new top, the very heavy trees do not 

 give as good results. Plums and cherries may be set at either one or two 

 3 r ears from the bud. Where the soil is fertile and has been well prepared, 

 one-year-old trees are to be preferred, particularly if one wants to head 



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