Peaches. 41 



This was ten or twelve years ago, and, unless the new 

 fruit region in Grand Valley, on the western border of our 

 State, of which we are beginning to hear praises and to 

 which enthusiastic fruit growers are turning their attention, 

 should prove more kindly than have the valleys on the 

 eastern slope of the range, we must still look elsewhere for 

 peaches. 



Still, let us hear those who have had more or less ex- 

 perience, though the number is but few. We may say that 

 we are only on the border-land of experiment with the 

 peach, and the day may come when its culture will be as 

 easy as is that of the potato. 



George W. Webster, of the St. Vrain Valley, thinks 

 peaches cannot be successfully raised in Colorado, on ac- 

 count of the trouble required to cultivate and care for them. 

 He says : " If you keep them trimmed low, pack straw in 

 between the limbs in winter time, and then tie a rope around 

 the tree so as to keep the straw from blowing away, then, 

 perhaps, you may raise peaches. But this takes more time 

 and trouble than the peaches are worth. Some day we may 

 find a hardy kind that will do. Our climate is changing; 

 has changed much since I came here, and may change so 

 peach-raising will be easy and profitable." 



This, it will be seen, is not encouraging. In Southern 

 Colorado, in the valley of the Arkansas, they are likely to 

 grow, if anywhere on the eastern slope. We have visited 

 various gardens and orchards in this valley, and have seen 

 peach trees; but they cannot be said to have been in a 

 thriving condition. In the garden of Mr. Anson Rudd we 

 found quite a number growing, and questioning him as to 

 varieties found that they were mainly seedlings. He had 

 twelve varieties, all apparently doing well ; some had fruited. 

 He favored starting from seed, rather than introducing young 

 trees, believing that they will acclimate better and not win- 

 ter-kill so readily. He found the trouble to be this: the 

 late warm fall weather brings out the peach buds, develop- 



