COMMERCIAL ORCHARDING IN WEST VIRGINIA. 5 



are worked to advantage on such soils, thus lessening the cost of 

 cultivation, while on the chert lands one and two horse implements 

 must be used. 



Rainfall * is an important factor in peach growing and is believed 

 to have much to do with the development of fungous diseases and 

 the market quality of peaches. Then, too, frequent rains during 

 the picking season lessen the chance of getting them on the market 

 at the proper time. 



The average rainfall in this section in the valleys is about 35 inches 

 a year, as compared with about 50 inches on the higher parts of the 



Fig. 2. — Typical red-soil topography. The trees have been "opened" at the base for the operation 



of "worming." 



Allegheny Mountains to the west. The fact that rainfall increases 

 generally with the elevation makes it probable that the orchards 

 located on the tops of mountains from 1,500 to 2,000 feet in elevation 

 receive a greater rainfall than 35 inches. 



GENERAL SCHEME OF ORCHARD PLANTING. 



Peach trees may be regarded as fillers among the more permanent 

 apple trees in many orchards planted in this section during the past 

 10 years, and they are so distributed in planting that the apple trees 

 are 36 to 40 feet apart in the row each way. This practice seems to 

 be due to the following facts: Experience has demonstrated that in 

 this section the average profitable life of a peach tree is about 12 

 to 14 years, so that in this developmental stage it was believed that 

 if the peach orchard paid only the expense of bringing the apple 

 orchard to the bearing stage it might prove a wise undertaking. In 

 the past the disease known as yellows has destroyed many orchards, 

 greatly increasing the element of chance in the enterprise. 



In order to distribute better the labor of picking and to take advan- 

 tage of the possible changes in market prices, many varieties are 



iThe effect of climatic conditions, soils, topography, and other physical features on orchards is being 

 observed and studied by the Office of Field Investigations in Pomology, Bureau of Plant Industry. Such 

 facts are considered in this bulletin only to the extent of throwing light on farm-management problems. 



