COMMERCIAL ORCHARDING IN WEST VIRGINIA. is) 
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. 
Rainiall ‘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 treés 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 1t 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 
1The 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. 
