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BULLETIN 162, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



seed. In this respect it behaves in this locality not unlike the 

 unadapted peach varieties. 



Trees of the Spanish group in the Mexican seedling peach orchard 

 are relatively resistant to the soil difficulties and give every indica- 

 tion of furnishing a better stock on which to work stone fruits than 

 peaches of the unadapted type. This orchard is now being kept 

 chiefly for the production of such seed, in order to supply desirable 

 stocks for local peach plantings. 



SUGGESTIONS ON ORCHARD MANAGEMENT. 



Cultivation. — Orchard cultivation of all kinds around San Antonio 

 without irrigation must necessarilv be much more intensive than in 



Fig. 8. — Orchard cultivator used in the experimental orchards to establish a mulch and keep down 

 weeds. Clean culture is absolutely necessary for successful fruit production in the San Antonio 

 section. (Photographed July 12, 1912.) 



more favored sections because of the uneven distribution of the rain- 

 fall. Clean culture, especially when the trees have reached the 

 bearing stage, is absolutely essential, for all available moisture must 

 be conserved. As much care must be given the orchard as is given 

 cotton or corn, if successful results are to be obtained. The best 

 method of orchard culture, rigorously practiced at the San Antonio 

 Field Station, is to keep a 3-inch or 4-inch earth mulch on the ground 

 throughout the growing season. After every ram of any conse- 

 quence, from early spring until fall, the orchards have been gone 

 over, either with an orchard cultivator (fig. 8) or a spike-tooth 

 harrow. If the orchard cultivator is equipped with sweeps to sup- 

 plement the ordinary shovels and these sweeps are used when the 



