34-2 THE PLANT LIFE OF MARYLAND 



its activity destroyed the productive orchards in one place the busi- 

 ness was developed in another, to meet the demand from the markets 

 dependent upon the State for their supplies of this fruit. The 

 Yellows has followed the movement of the commercial orchard 

 areas, and the industry in other parts of the State is threatened. 

 The importance of destroying the trees as soon as there is a sight of 

 disease is now recognized as essential to its control, and the more 

 thrifty growers do so as part of the season's work. 



Under present conditions the region about the upper end of the 

 Blue Ridge is important in the fruit industry; and it is in this 

 region that the "Mountain Peach" as a product of Maryland was 

 developed. The varieties which have the word "Mountain" as part 

 of their name are not confined to the high ground, as both the light 

 fleshed Mountain Rareripe, and the Mountain Rose, are or were 

 grown on the low elevations of the Delaware-Maryland Peninsula. 

 The qualities that made the Mountain Peach so well known were 

 probably due to the conditions of growth, just as is the case in the 

 growing of apples, proper regard being used for suitable varieties 

 for growth. 



The character of ground used for the planting of orchards of 

 either peach or apple, is preferably recently cleared woodland, and 

 there is a cultivated crop, of corn usually, grown among the trees 

 during the first years after planting, before the trees come into bear- 

 ing. Afterward it is the practice among the best growers to cultivate 

 during the early part of each season, and sow some form of clover 

 or cow peas to cover the soil during the ripening period and before 

 the winter sets in to turn this growth under to decay as a source of 

 the next season's nitrogen. Where the season is open and much rain 

 is expected, the late plowing is often deferred until spring, the plants 

 acting as a protection against washing. 



Grapes are grown extensively in the Blue Ridge section of the 

 State, but do not take so prominent a place in the fruit markets as 

 do the peaches. The large Italian or Japanese Chestnuts are grown 

 to a considerable degree on the woodland slopes of the Pen Mar 

 region, where the sprouts which grow from the cut stumps of the 

 native chestnut are grafted with the large type and an early bearing 

 orchard of the nut trees results. One e;reat advantage of thus de- 



