1532 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



pendicular, and as a result the moisture 

 must be nearer the surface than is neces- 

 sary for trees with tap-roots. It is more 

 drouth-resistant than either the apple 

 or the pear, largely because the leaf 

 surface is not so great and there is less 

 evaporation than there would be from 

 a larger surface, and because of the 

 further fact that the leaf is less porous 

 and therefore holds the water in larger 

 degree than the more porous leaves 



Drouth Eesistance 



There are great differences in the 

 drouth-resisting qualities of peaches of 

 different varieties. There is a variety 

 called in the United States "The Indian 

 Peach," which is very hardy, drouth-re- 

 sistant, heat-enduring, and in the hot 

 and semi-arid climates will succeed bet- 

 ter than many other varieties. In the 

 semi-arid portions of Kansas this peach 

 will look green and healthy and bear a 

 fairly good crop of fruit when the other 

 varieties growing in the same orchard 

 will die for lack of water. It is believed 

 that this variety was brought to Amer- 

 ica by the Spaniards soon after its dis- 

 covery, that it ran wild in the forests 

 and became adapted to its semi-arid en- 

 vironment. 



The Fruit 



The fruit is roundish, elliptical, rang- 

 ing generally from two inches to four 

 inches in diameter and covered with 

 down. Its flesh is whitish, yellowish, red- 

 dish, or a mixture which sometimes com- 

 bines all these colors in one. The flavor 

 is sub-acid, the taste luscious, and as a 

 food it is nutritious and healthful. The 

 yellow peach generally brings the high- 

 est prices in the markets, probably be- 

 cause of its richness and because the 

 flesh is usually more compact and solid, 

 holding up longer in shipment. 



Selecting a Site 



In selecting a site for a peach orchard 

 the same rules apply as in selecting a 

 site for most other kinds of fruits. As 

 in the case of apples and small fruits, the 

 site should be one that is as free from 

 frost as possible; therefore the questions 

 of elevation, air drainage and relation to 



large bodies of water are important. In 

 general, the relatively higher lands are 

 less likely to be damaged by frost than 

 the low lands; the lands, even though 

 on a low altitude, may be protected from 

 frost by habitual air currents that tend 

 to prevent frosts. Then, too, the or- 

 chards that are adjacent to large bodies 

 of water, especially if the prevailing 

 winds carry the evaporated moisture 

 across the orchard, tend to prevent frost. 

 A northern exposure is sometimes desir- 

 able, because on the north slope of the 

 hill, or range of hills, the site is less 

 exposed to the direct rays of the sun 

 and the blooming period is delayed more 

 or less, depending on the surrounding 

 country and the climate. Sandy soils 

 develop the buds earlier than clay soils, 

 yet a soil mixed with sand is the soil 

 in which peaches succeed the best. 



Climate has much to do with the suc- 

 cessful production of peaches and no one 

 who is wise will plant a large commer- 

 cial orchard without a study of the cli- 

 mate, soil conditions, and an effort to 

 discover the varieties best adapted to the 

 place where they are expected to grow. 

 It might seem ideal If all peach growers 

 locate in the sections best adapted to the 

 growth of these varieties that bring the 

 highest prices in the markets; but this 

 cannot be done, therefore we have to 

 adapt in some degree at least the va- 

 rieties to our locations. The tendency is 

 always for any particular industry to 

 localize itself into those sections where 

 they can produce the most for the least 

 expenditure of money and of labor. This 

 tendency will doubtless increase more 

 and more as industry becomes more 

 diversified and as transportation facili- 

 ties become more general. Therefore 

 commercial peach-growing will tend to 

 centralize into certain sections, as in the 

 case of corn in Illinois, wheat in the 

 Dakotas, and other sections adapted to 

 these crops. However, in smaller degree, 

 and especially for home use, peaches will 

 be grown in almost all parts of the 

 United States. Planting commercial or- 

 chards with reference to the facilities for 

 marketing should not be overlooked. The 



