LONG ISLAND PEACHES.—PROPER REPOSE FOR CONSERVATORY OR WINDOW PLANTS. 55 
LONG ISLAND PEACHES. 
It lias long been the opinion of many, that the j 
soil and atmosphere of Long Island, from its proxi¬ 
mity to the ocean, are unfavorable to the success¬ 
ful cultivation of several of our garden fruits, par¬ 
ticularly that of the peach. But when it is con¬ 
sidered that the little peninsula of Delaware, which 
is but a trifle larger than Long Island, produces the 
peach in the greatest abundance and in the highest 
state of perfection, all arguments like the preceding 
will appear fallacious. Moreover, we have an in¬ 
stance before us, where the cultivation of the peach 
on Long Island, has been crowned with the most | 
complete success. 
On the 1st of October last, we visited the peach J 
orchards of Mr. John I. StoothofF, situated on the j 
Rockaway road, directly at the head of Jamaica j 
Bay, six miles from the Atlantic, and two miles j 
south of the village of Jamaica, where they receive 
the uninterrupted effects of salt air and ocean 
winds. These orchards are two in. number, one 
containing originally 2,500 trees, five years planted, 
and the other 1,050 trees, four years from the bud. 
The soil, in which they are planted, consists of a 
very fine, light sandy loam, poorer than the lands 
at Flatbush, and similar in character to those of 
Islip, and several points farther east. The trees 
were generally planted from 18 to 20 feet apart, 
and, with the exception of a portion of those of the 
larger orchard, all appeared exceedingly vigorous, 
although they had somewhat suffered from mutila¬ 
tion in gathering the fruit. Mr. StoothofF was 
about completing his harvest, having been engaged 
in sending his fruit to the New York markets, since 
the 12th of August, between which time and the 
3 rd of October, he sold 2,637 baskets, bringing in the 
aggregate, $2,600.18. The trees from which the 
fruit had not been plucked, at the time of our visit, 
were actually bending to the ground with excessive 
weight, and finer looking peaches we never saw. 
The varieties principally cultivated, were the red 
rareripe, early and late malacotones, lemon clings, 
and Morris whites. 
At the time of planting the trees, Mr. StoothofF 
cuts ofF the tap root, if there be any, in order that 
the other roots may take a horizontal direction near 
the surface of the ground, and receive the full bene¬ 
fit of the manure and the vivifying influences of 
rains and dews. The first year after he plants his 
trees, he cuts ofF the trunks or stems from two and 
a half to three feet above the ground, in order to 
allow the future branches to start low and form a 
bushy head. In winter, he prunes his trees by cut¬ 
ting away all dead wood, and in summer he thins 
out the superfluous branches, in order to admit the 
sun and air. In the month of June, and again in 
September, the earth is drawn from each tree, the 
roots carefully scraped, all borers cut out with a 
knife, and the earth properly put back in its place. 
Mr. StoothofF, for two or three years past, has 
been in the practice of planting asparagus and peas 
in his orchards, manuring them with wood ashes 
and stable or barn yard dung. The cultivation of 
garden vegetable among fruit trees, however, 
he does not fully approve. He thinks it prefer¬ 
able to keep his orchards clear of weeds by fre¬ 
quently scratching over the surface with a cultiva¬ 
tor, and manuring each tree, within a foot or two 
of the trunk, with six to ten fish (moss bunkers), 
covering them over with three or four inches of 
earth. To the last named circumstances and the 
great care observed in removing the tap root and 
extracting the borer, it is probable the success of 
his peach culture mainly depends. 
Mr. StoothofF has kept an exact account of the 
products of his two orchards the season past, from 
which we copy the following, including the amount 
of sales :— 
2,780 bunches of asparagus,.... $418.10 
431 bushels of early peas, .... 425.50 
261 “ late “ .... 185.75 
41 “ Sickel u .... 17.25 
2,637 baskets of peaches,.2,600.18 
$3,646.78 
These orchards contain about 28 acres, and con¬ 
stitute a part of the farm recently owned by James 
Campbell, Esq., late Surrogate of the city of New 
York. 
PROPER REPOSE FOR CONSERVATORY OR 
WINDOW PLANTS. 
Plants under artificial treatment, it is well 
known, cannot long exist in good health, without 
a period of repose. Consequently, various direc¬ 
tions have been given respecting their management 
as regards the proper state in which they should 
exist previous to their resting season, and how that 
rest should be produced. 
One person recommends withholding moisture , 
another advises as much exposure as possible to 
solar influence; a third, close confinement and 
high temperature; a fourth, full exposure to the 
open air, with all its vicissitudes • a fifth says, cur¬ 
tail the roots and retard over luxuriance; a sixth, 
annually divests the plant of a portion of its roots; 
a seventh tells you to prolong the growing season 
by encouraging early growth: and finally, an 
eighth recommends freely thinning out the top. 
Now, all of these rules may be very proper when 
judiciously applied ; but what is the inexperienced 
beginner to do, with such conflicting directions be¬ 
fore him, any one of which, if carried to excess, it 
is well known would prove injurious to the plant? 
The question then arises, how is a proper state 
of repose to be attained. Heat, cojjl, moisture, 
drought, light, shade, and air, are necessary agents, 
so far as climate and atmosphere are concerned, 
for promoting health and vigor, and are all requi¬ 
site in various proportions, according to the nature 
of the plant, and under some circumstances for ad¬ 
justing its habit. For instance, if the plant be of a 
stove or hot-house kind, which came from a tropi¬ 
cal climate, where the rainy season occurs when 
the sun is nearest and spring and summer are com¬ 
bined in one; while, on the other hand, the dry 
season answers the same end as a low temperature 
does in colder climates, by withholding moisture, 
and consequently suspending vegetation, moisture 
should gradually be withheld from it, both from the 
soil and atmosphere for a short time, and plenty of 
solar light and heat admitted in its stead. Again, 
natives of a milder climate, such as may be strictly 
termed green-house plants, which would perish 
from a much less drought, should be placed in a 
I cooler situation, in order to slightly suspend the 
