I20 



do not mean that peaches will not grow on other kinds of soil only 

 that I have found the ones mentioned best for me in the order 

 named. I traveled in five states two years ago prospecting for 

 peach soil and finally came back to our South ^lountain district. 

 \\> have the best soil and the best elevation. Peaches can be grown 

 in the southern states but they do not have the flavor of ours. It 

 is understood by a great many people that peaches will do best on 

 a poor soil. I prefer the best I can get of one of the types men- 

 tioned. It is possible to grow peaches on poor soil by fertilizing 

 pretty well and growing lots of cow peas, crimson clover or red 

 clover as a cover crop to turn down, but if the soil is naturally 

 rich we avoid that expense. 



Preparing Ground For Planting. 



I like to plow the ground deep, 8 to lo inches, being careful 

 to do a thorough job. It is then well harrowed with a spring tooth 

 harro^^•. until a good seed bed is secured. The field is scored one 

 way with a shovel plow making the furrows 17 feet apart. It is 

 then marked out the other way with a bar shear plow with furrows 

 20 feet apart setting the plow to run as deeply as possible. The 

 trees are set exactly on the cross mark. Quite a few growers plant 

 closer than 17x20 feet but we have learned that a closer planting 

 is not best. One of my orchards was set 17x20 and another 18x18. 

 We find the 17x20 best. It is covenient to spray and cultivate and 

 later will have plenty of air and sunlight. 



Selection of Trees. 



It is quite a problem to kno\\' where to get exactly the kind of 

 trees you want, of the right variety, true to name, healthy and vigor- 

 ous. You should know your nurseryman. I prefer a tree 3 to 4 

 feet or an early budded, June bud 3 to 4 feet if it is grown in the 

 southern states or southern nursery. Examine your trees care- 

 fully before planting to see that they are healthy and of right kind. 

 You cannot always tell about the kind but can almost always dis- 

 tinguish between a white and yellow peach, bv the bark. A white 

 peach will have red bark on one side and dark purple on the other, 

 while a yellow peach will have a rather bright yellow bark on one 

 side and a reddish-brou n on the other. 



Varieties. 



If you are planting a commercial orchard in Adams county or 

 in Frederick or A\'ashington counties, ^laryland. and wish to have 

 a succession extending over a period of about 60 days I would not 

 select over 8 to 10 varieties. If possible you should have enough 

 of a variety or be able to combine with a neighbor so as to make 

 enough to ship carloads. To do this, if you have 1,000 trees of a 

 variety you can pick over 500 of them on alternate days. You can 

 always do better in selling at home or in shipping if you have car- 

 loads. With only local lots you are at the mercy of the commis- 

 sion man unless as suggested before you can co-operate with neigh- 

 bors to load full carloads. I think co-operation is one of the im- 



