f 
360 
Z>'fic  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
March  4,  1910. 
Top- Working  of  Bearing  Peach  Trees 
Poor  Varieties  Weeded  Out 
HANGING  POOR  VARIETIES.— The  top-work¬ 
ing  or  grafting  over  of  a  hearing  apple  tree  to 
another  variety  is  a  common  occurrence,  but  the 
\ 
One  Season’s  Growth  Following  Budding  or  Top-Working. 
Fig.  100 
top-working  of  peach  trees  is  but  little  practiced. 
The  peach  is  a  comparatively  short-lived  tree,  can¬ 
not  he  grafted  except  with  difficulty,  and  when  a 
grower  linds  that  some  of  his  trees  are  untrue  to 
name  and  worthless  seedlings,  the  common  practice 
is  to  pull  them  out  and  set  others  in  their  places. 
Top-working  of  peaches  has  been  successfully  prac¬ 
ticed,  however,  upon  a  commercial  scale  by  a  few 
peach  growers,  including  J.  II.  Ilale.  During  the 
past  season  the  heavy  crop  of  peaches  demonstrated 
to  many  growers  that  certain  varieties  are  of  little 
commercial  worth  in  real  competition  with  others. 
In  fact,  the  season  of  1915  will  do  more  to  limit  the 
list  of  commercial  varieties  and  cause  the  discard¬ 
ing  of  half-way  satisfactory  ones  than  all  the  edu¬ 
cational  publicity  that  might  he  launched  in  a  half 
dozen  years.  The  number  of  peach  trees  that  fin¬ 
ally  prove  to  he  seedlings  after  being  sent  out  by 
nurserymen  is  very  small;  in  fact,  from  experienced 
nurserymen  the  amount  is  too  small  to  he  of  much 
economic  importance. 
REACH  PROBLEMS. — The  problems  which  really 
confront  the  poach  grower  may  be  grouped  as  fol¬ 
lows  : 
1.  The  securing  of  a  variety  which  he  did  not 
order. 
2.  The  selection  of  a  variety  for  commercial  plant¬ 
ing  which  later  proves  to  he  inferior  for  the  pur¬ 
pose.  Much  lias  been  said  about  the  propagation  of 
trees  true  to  name  and  the  problem  is  still  with  us. 
Certain  varieties  of  peaches  have  been  notably  dif¬ 
ficult  to  secure.  The  writer  has  ordered  trees  of 
Ililey  for  experimental  purposes  at,  numerous  times, 
and  has  failed,  in  the  majority  of  cases,  to  secure  a 
lot  of  trees  that  were  all  Ililey.  It  has  been  the 
writer’s  observation  that  such  has  been  the  exper¬ 
ience  also  with  many  practical  growers.  The  variety 
commonly  mixed  with  or  sold  for  Ililey  is  Belle.  I 
have  also  experienced  a  similar  difficulty  in  obtain¬ 
ing  trees  of  the  Niagara  peach  true  to  name.  Such 
sorts  as-  Reeves  and  Fitzgerald  have  been  supplied 
instead.  There  is  a  demand  for  Krummel  October 
peach  trees  in  some  sections  today.  This  is  a  va¬ 
riety  -much  superior  to  Sal  way,  hut  which  it  resem¬ 
bles  to  a  considerable  degree.  In  fact  some  claim 
that  the  varieties  are  identical,  undoubtedly  because 
of  the  fact  that  they  have  never  seen  the  true 
Krummel.  So.  a  fruit  grower  may  find  himself  pos¬ 
sessed  of  200  Belle  trees  when  he  really  wants  Ililey. 
This  is  not  quite  as  bad  as  having  200  Ford's  Late 
instead  of  Ililey,  but  it  disarranges  his  plans  of  or¬ 
chard  development  and  marketing,  and  may  prove 
a  distinct  loss. 
UNPROFITABLE  SORTS.— Not  infrequently  too 
an  inexperienced  man  may  plant  such  varieties  as 
Early  Crawford,  Oldmixon  and  Reeves  for  (Commer¬ 
cial  purposes  in  New  Jersey,  and  the  nursery  sup¬ 
plies  him  with  trees  true  to  name,  but  after  one  sea¬ 
son  of  fruiting  the  grower  wishes  that  he  had  other 
varieties.  There  are  thousands  of  peach  trees 
throughout  the  country  that  would  prove  to  be  more 
profitable  if  they  were  of  a  different  variety.  The 
problem  then  is  what  can  be  done  to  improve  mat¬ 
ters.  and  is  it  practical  to  top-work  peach  trees.  In 
a  general  way  it  can  he  said  that  peach  trees  from 
one  to  six  or  eight  years  of  age  can  be  top- worked 
to  advantage  if  healthy  and  vigorous  and  in  a  lo¬ 
cality  suitable  to  peach  production.  It  might  also 
prove  profitable  with  older  trees  under  good  con¬ 
ditions. 
BEDDING. — The  most  practical  method  of  top¬ 
working  peach  trees  is  by  budding  in  late  Summer, 
and  to  do  this  readily  and  successfully  it  is  neces¬ 
sary  to  have  good,  vigorous  shoots  of  the  same  sea¬ 
son's  growth  to  hud.  Buds  inserted  into  older  wood 
of  the  second  or  third  season  might  unite  if  given 
special  treatment  or  attention,  but  they  are  com¬ 
monly  flooded  out  by  the  exudation  of  gum  and  the 
method  is  not  dependable. 
TOP-WORKING  NEWLY-SET  TREES.— One  may 
occasionally  have  a  seedling  or  a  variety  which  he 
desires  to  bring  Into  bearing  as  soon  as  possible.  He 
may  then  plant  trees  of  some  hardy,  vigorous  va¬ 
riety,  such  as  Carman,  in  the  Spring,  and  top-work 
them  to  the  desired  variety  in  August.  If  the  trees 
have  developed  and  grown  well,  there  should  be 
little  difficulty  in  securing  several  well-placed 
branches  for  the  insertion  of  the  buds.  If  one  has 
selected  a  variety  that  is  unsatisfactory  commer¬ 
cially,  and  learns  of  this  previous  to  August  of  the 
first  season,  top-working  may  be  resorted  to,  and 
should  be  less  expensive  than  the  pulling  out  and 
replanting  of  another  lot  of  trees-  In  top-working 
young  trees  the  buds  should  be  inserted  within  at 
least  Is  or  24  inches  of  the  ground  if  possible  to 
insure  a  low  head  to  the  tree.  Fig.  100  illustrates  a 
young  peach  tree  in  April  after  it  had  made  a  sea¬ 
son's  growth  following  budding. 
TOP  TYORKNG. — The  lop-working  of  trees  that 
are  making  their  second  season’s  growth  is  a  some¬ 
what  different  problem.  If  we  hud  into  the  previous 
season's  wood  growth  in  order  to  insert  the  buds  as 
near  to  the  ground  as  is  desirable  there  is  difficulty 
in  securing  a  good  set  of  buds  unless  special  prac¬ 
tices  are  adopted.  However,  the  difficulty  may  he 
overcome  by  selecting  well  placed  secondary  or  side 
branches  of  the  season's  growth  for  budding,  and 
if  the  trees  have  developed  well  there  should  he  lit¬ 
tle  trouble  in  inserting  buds  where  they  will  result 
in  a  “low-headed”  tree.  Top-working  during  the 
first  and  second  seasons  after  planting  then  does 
not  require  any  previous  “dishorning”  of  the  tree. 
TOP-WORKING  BEARING  TREES. — In  the  case 
of  bearing  peach  trees  as  illustrated  in  Fig.  101  it 
would  he  difficult  to  find  a  sufficient  number  of  good, 
new  shoots  of  the  season’s  growth  near  the  head  of 
the  tree  unless  the  top  had  been  pruned  away  severe¬ 
ly  the  previous  Winter.  The  shoots  for  budding 
should  he  at  least  one-quarter  to  one-half  inch  in 
diameter  and  if  the  buds  are  inserted  much  moye 
than  three  or  four  feet  from  the  ground  the  new 
top  will  he  formed  rather  high  for  convenient  or¬ 
chard  management.  If  the  frees  to  he  top-worked 
are  seedlings,  or  a  variety  that,  is  entirely  worth¬ 
less.  the  best  method  is  to  “dishorn"  or  cut  back 
the  main  branches  of  the  trees  in  Winter  to  short 
stubs  about  two  to  three  feet  in  length  as  illustrated 
in  Fig.  102.  This  will  result  in  the  development  of 
a  large  number  of  new  shoots  low  down  upon  the 
scaffold  branches  or  trunk.  Some  of  these  may  be 
thinned  out  as  they  develop,  hut  it  is  commonly  best 
to  allow  a  majority  of  them  to  grow  until  the  time 
for  budding.  Shoots  which  arc  so  vigorous  as  to 
develop  to  a  length  of  five  or  six  feet  during  a  sea¬ 
son  and  to  attain  a  diameter  of  three-quarters  of  an 
inch  to  an  Inch  are  not  as  satisfactory  to  bud  as 
slightly  smaller  ones,  and  where  a  considerable 
number  of  shoots  are  allowed  to  develop  one  can  se¬ 
lect  those  medium  in  size  for  budding.  The  top¬ 
working  of  a  tree  by  the  complete  “dishorning” 
method  would  require  two  seasons  before  one  could 
again  secure  fruit.  m.  a.  blare. 
New  Jersey  Exp.  Station. 
(Continued  Next  Week.) 
How  to  Plant  Nuts 
Management  of  Hickory  and  Black  Walnut 
I  wish  to  got  information  mi  tlio  planting  of  hickory- 
nuts  and  Black  walnuts.  When  is  the  proper  time  to 
plant  the  nuts?  Is  it  too  late  to  do  anything  now  in 
the  climate  of  Connecticut?  Are  the  seedlings  dug  up 
Bearing  Peach  Tree  Cut  Back  for  Top-Working.  Fig.  102 
in  the  Fall  and  put  into  the  cellar  for  wliip-grafting 
same  as  apple  seedlings,  or  must  the  work  bo  done  in 
Spring,  out  of  doors  by  cleft-grafting?  Little  Black 
walnut  trees  have  sometimes  started  of  themselves,  in 
the  soil  under  the  trees,  but  they  seemed  to  die  during 
the  first  Winter?  Can  this  be  remedied?  How  long 
before  the  scion  or  bud  bears  nuts?  Is  it  best  to  plant 
Ihe  nuts  just  where  I  wish  the  tree  to  remain?  Can 
I  bud  into  young  branches  higher  up?  I  did  some  cleft- 
grafting  with  apple  scions  last  Spring  and  had  very 
good  results.  I  do  not  know  when  the  second  graft 
should  he  cut  off  provided  both  have  grown  in  the 
stub.  Will  you  enlighten  me?  M.  w. 
Waterhury,  Conn. 
{{OTRATIFY  the  fresh  nuts  in  clean  sand  in  a 
O  rodent-proof  box  and  bury  the  box  in  a  well 
drained  spot.  Plant,  the  nuts  as  soon  as  possible  in 
the  Spring.”  These  are  the  classical  directions  for 
planting  nuts,  and  I  do  not  know  that  there  are  any 
nuts  grown  in  the  East  to  which  this  rule  does  not 
apply.  I  will  explain  in  detail.  To  “stratify”  means 
to  put  in  layers.  The  sand  between  the  layers  should 
bo  clean,  so  as  not  to  favor  rotting  of  the  nuts,  and 
it  should  be  just  naturally  moist,  neither  wet  nor 
dry.  Nuts  should  he  “fresh,”  that  is  not  dried  out 
by  keeping  in  the  house.  A  percentage  of  dried- 
out  nuts  may  start  if  soaked  for  a  day  or  two  in 
water  before  planting,  but  the  vitality  of  most  nuts 
seems  to  he  much  diminished  by  drying.  “A  rodent- 
proof  box”  is  one  that  the  rats  and  mice  and  squir¬ 
rels  cannot  get  into.  It  may  lie  a  tin  box  punched 
full  of  holes  so  that  all  water  will  drain  out.  or  any 
lmx  covered  with  suitable  wire  netting. 
The  box  should  he  buried  in  a  well-drained  spot 
so  that  the  nuts  may  have  their  natural  exposure 
to  the  elements,  but  not  stand  in  water  nor  become 
dried  out.  Alternate  freezing  and  thawing  seems 
to  crack  the  shells  of  hard  nuts,  and  to  be  the  nat¬ 
ural  conditions  favoring  germination.  One  of  our 
best  authorities  puts  the  nuts  in  a  single  layer  in  a 
wire  cage  on  the  ground,  half  covers  them  with 
sand  and  then  scatters  a  few  leaves  over  them.  He 
believes  that  the  unequal  exposure  of  the  nuts 
causes  unequal  expansion  and  better  cracking  of 
the  shell.  This  is  very  well  for  a  few  nuts  but 
would  he  rather  inconvenient  on  a  large  scale. 
“Plant  the  nuts  in  Spring.”  Black  and  .Japanese 
walnuts  have  done  well  for  me  when  Fall-planted. 
Pecans  have  done  less  well  and  some  nuts  Fall- 
planted  have  not  .appeared  at  all.  On  the  other 
New  Growth  Formed  After  Cutting  Back.  Fig.  103 
