MCOBE’5 RURAL NEW-YOBiKEB. 
JULY a 
m 
^ontological. 
PEACH CULTURE IN MICHIGAN. 
President Dyckman of the Michigan Po- 
mological Society, delivered the following 
address at its recent meeting at Adrian. It 
will interest Pomologists, and especially 
peach growers: 
When about the end of the last half cen¬ 
tury Eleazur Morton, George Parmelee, and 
Curtis Boughton, the pioneers of St. Joseph 
peach culture, set their respective orchards, 
an aggregate area of about 25 acres, people 
opened their eyes with amazement at this ex¬ 
hibition of lunacy, thinking the production 
of such large orchards would overstock the 
market. Now, with their estimated 5!)4,4ti7 
peach tree* in that region, in 1872, besideB ex¬ 
tensive orchard interests at South Haven, 
Saugatuck, Holland, Grand Haven, Spring 
Lake,, and athor points north along the shore, 
our Western Michigan fruit growers are re¬ 
lieved from the charge of lunacy, notwith¬ 
standing the reckless manner in which they 
are raising peach trees by the hundreds of 
thousands. But, to bring this subject to full 
comprehension, one should visit Chicago, in 
the season of harvest, and see the wilderness 
of fruit by every avenue of commerce, seek¬ 
ing destination in every corner of the great 
Northwest. People are in sober earnest, the 
fruit supply has become one of the greut 
necessities of trade, and especially does the 
peach, with Its delicious and health-giving 
qualities, find ft welcome in every mart. 
Although there are territorial limits, the 
area of successful peach culture is more than 
sufficient for continual supply and healthful 
competition. The Mieldgau peach belt alone 
is capable of supplying the who’e Northwest 
in all its prospective grow th, The extent to 
which the supply is sought in this direction, 
will depend very much on the quality of our 
productions ; therefore fo the attainment of 
the highest market qualities should our ef¬ 
forts primarily aurl mainly be directed. 
Then, a judicious selection of varieties is of 
the highest importance. Among the new 
varieties us Poster, Alexander, Richmond, 
the Rivers peaches and others, we look for 
something worthy a place on our profession¬ 
al list. Especially aie we interested in those 
ripening before the Early Cra a lord, a season 
wherein we have no tried sorts of first rate 
market qualities. We will give our impres¬ 
sions of the well known sorts, in their order 
of ripening. 
Hals's Early is very hardy and productive, 
a good grower, and everything desirable in 
the tree. The fruit when well grown is of 
large size, beautiful appearance, acceptable 
quality, and but for its liability to rot would 
be quite satisfactory. It should be grown on 
ground having a free cii dilation of air. 
Wheelers Euily is a good grower, and 
hardy, except that it is quite as suhject to 
curled leaf as any seedi ng. It is extremely 
liable to overbear, the fruit is medium size, 
of very bright appearance, fair quality, quite 
exempt from rot, and ships well. 
Cooledge’s Favorite is a good grower, hardy 
and prolific. The fruit is medium size, of 
good quality, and beautiful appearance. The 
pit is liable to crack ; too real- the Early 
Crawford in ripening. 
The three varieties have white flesh. 
The Yellow Honest John is very vigorous, 
hardy and productive. The fruit is of me¬ 
dium size, fair quality and appearance, and 
ships well ; the same season as Cooledge’s 
Favorite. 
The Mountain Rose is highly recommended 
by Mr. Thomas Archer, and ether fruit grow¬ 
ers, at St. Joseph. 
EARLY AND LATE CRAWFORDS. 
The Crawford peaches are too well known 
to need any definite description. Their old 
popularity is fully sustained, they outsell all 
competitors in the market, and since at South 
Haven they passed t hrough the unprecedent¬ 
ed cold winter of 1872-8 with fruit buds in¬ 
tact, and the following summer bore a large 
crop of the finest fruit, their hardiness can¬ 
not bo questioned. They are hardy in both 
tree and fruit, and quite exempt from leaf- 
curl. Acid to this, excellent shipping quali¬ 
ties in fruit, long period of ripening, and the 
tenacity with which the ripe fruit clings to 
the stem, and wo have a rare combination of 
market qualities. 
Commencing to ripen after a few of the 
first, pickings of the Early Crawford, and 
continuing until after it, comes Barnard. 
This excellent peach, to which we shall have 
occasion to refer again, was received from 
western New York, by Mr. George Parmelee, 
of St Joseph, now of Old Mission, in an order 
for the Lemon Cling. This peach, which 
proved Freestone, became quite a favorite 
with Mr. Parmelee, and it was disseminated 
from his orchard under the name of Lemon. 
It has since assumed the name of Barnard, 
on account of its supposed identit y with Bar¬ 
nard’s Yellow Rare-ripe. But if this last is 
identical with the Yellow Alberge it is not 
the same, for it ripens later than the Yellow 
Alberge, and lias renifonn glands. 
A peach lias been brought to light at Paw 
Paw, in this state, called Snow’s Orange, be¬ 
cause found in the garden of Mr. Snow, ot 
that place, that seems to be almost, if not 
quite, identical with Mr, Parmelee’s Lemon. 
Mr. John Smolk, Jr., who formerly owned 
the Snow place, says the pits out of which 
this, among other trees, grow, were from a 
very fine lot of peaches which he purchased 
at a fair In Western New York. lie planted 
the pitB on Big Prairie Rondo,and transplant¬ 
ed the trees into his garden at Paw Paw. 
Jacques’ Rareripe and Old Mixon’s Free¬ 
stone, have perhaps about equal claims to 
the next pluee in our succession of peaches. 
Both arc hardy and productive, with tine 
market qualities in the fruit. 
HILL'S CHIU. 
This peach and its offspring, of which un¬ 
doubted)}* there are several, to all of which 
our society agrees to apply the above title, 
are known In this State by not less than nine 
different names, as follows*. Hill’s Chili, 
Stanley’s Late ; Cass ; Leopard ; Jenny 
Lind ; Queen of Sheba ; Seagrove ; Smolk ; 
Sugar; Climax. 
The name Stanley’s Late was given this 
peach by Eleazur Morton of Benton Harbor, 
who procured t he buds from the garden of 
Thomas Stanley of Prairie Ronde, Kalama¬ 
zoo County. Mr. Stanley settled here in 
about the year 1831, and from pits brought 
from liis former home in Leroy, New York, 
was grown the Stanley’s Late. 
In the same year, 1831, John Hascall emi¬ 
grated from the town of Leroy, Genessee 
County, New York, to Kalamazoo County, 
Mich., and nettled on Genesee Prairie, lie 
brought peach trees from General Cass’s 
place, in Detroit, which it is understood the 
General hod imported from France. One 
tree on Hawaii's place proved to be particu¬ 
larly hardy, bearing fruit of unusual excel¬ 
lence. In view of its reputed origin, it was 
named the Cass peach. 
The fact, t hat Hascall and Stanley came 
from the name locality in New York, about 
the same time, and the known power of this 
poach to reproduce itself from the pit, would 
seem to indicate tt common origin iu New 
York. As further evidence, this same peach 
made its appearance in the orchard of Mr. 
Finch, near Mason, Ingham County. Mr. 
Finch was from Delaware County, New 
York. His son, William Finch, now of Naper 
Valley, California, introduced this peach, at 
St. Joseph, under the name Queen of Sheba. 
Mr. J. B. Southerland of St. Joseph, propa¬ 
gated from this stock, under the title of Cli¬ 
max. Mr. Southerland says there were two 
original trees in Mr. Finch’s orchard, in Ing 
ham County. Mr. George Palmer, who pro¬ 
pagated from the Stanley’s stock, called t he 
peach Leopard, on account of its spotted ap¬ 
pearance when ripe. Mr. T. W. Dunham of 
Kalamazoo County, disseminated this peach 
at St. Joseph, where he set an extensive or¬ 
chard, and gave it the name of Jenny Lind. 
In the neighborhood of Benton Harbor, it 
assumed the synonym Sugar. This delecta¬ 
ble peach iu masquerade found its way into 
the orchard of Mr. Seagrove of Grand Haven, 
as the Smolk. It was welcomed into this 
more northern region and propagated by 
Mr. Huxted of the Grand River nurseries, 
under the name of Seagrove’s Smolk. 
Whether these various stock are derived 
from the original stock, through the process 
of budding, or reproduction from the pit, is 
not of great importance incur present in¬ 
vestigation. That t he tree and fruit are in 
all points identical is sufficient reason why 
they should bear a common name. We 
would suggest that the question of its origin 
in New York be referred to J. J. Thomas, 
our distinguished guest, for the settlement 
of this question might determine the name 
for general use. If it should appear the 
original stock was imported from France, it 
could with great, propriety be called the Cass 
peach. If its origin was in New York, we 
coukl perhaps unite on a name having the 
claim of priority. Our committee on nomen¬ 
clature have selected for this peach the mi ne 
of Hill’s Chili. Its extreme hardiness, early 
and constant bearing, and the excellent 
quality of ita fruit, have won for Hill’s Chili 
a general popularity in our State, it is quite 
liable to injury trom over-bearing if the 
fruit be not carefully thinned. No peach 
later than Hill’s Chili can be recommended 
for general culture in the lake shore region. 
These two peaches which we call Barnard 
and Hill’s Chili have thus stolen among us 
incognito, and without the prestige of a 
bright exterior, by intrinsic merit alone, 
risen in estimation until they are able to dis¬ 
pute the supremacy of the orchard with 
those old favorities the Early and Late 
Crawfords. For their greater liability to 
fall, and lack of bright Colors, we have com¬ 
pensation in their smaller pit, more uniform 
size, and extraordinary shipping qualities. 
The above list of peaches gives a complete 
succession. Of these, the first four, Hale’s 
Early, Wheeler’s Early, Cooledge’s Favorite, 
and Yellow Honest John, should be supplant¬ 
ed as soon as possible, with something better. 
But trees, however excellent, cannot give 
satisfaction except under proper manage 
ment. Our purpose is to glance at a few 
prominent points in this connection : 
First— Cultivation. We plow early in the 
season, with an ordinary two-horse plow, the 
usual depth, making the ridge in the center 
one way, and dead furrow the other. By re¬ 
versing the process the following year the. 
ground is kept level. Tho two furrows on 
either side nearest the trees, are made with 
a one horse land side plow, taking care not. 
to disturb the roots near the tree. Th© after¬ 
culture is continued with the harrow and 
with the two-bora© cultivator, until picking 
time, especially in time of drouth, when the 
cultivation should be constant. Then for 
the rest of the season, to enable tho new 
wood to reach full maturity, the orchard is 
left without cultivation. The necessary 
amount of hand work, to hunt the borers 
effectually, and prepare the ground for the 
Ransom traps, necessitates good cultivation 
among the tree trunks. 
Second—For t he Ransom process of catch¬ 
ing eurcullo, we refer to an article in the re¬ 
port of 1871. We catch also under the traps 
many other injurious beetles and noxious 
worms. We commence catching early iu 
May, when the cureulio first makes its ap¬ 
pearance. We cannot recommend, as yet, 
the disuse of the sheet and Jarring process, 
although we are not using it. 
Third— In the curly part of June we com¬ 
mence thinning the fruit, and drive the work 
to completion as rapidly as possible. A thor¬ 
ough thinning of the fruit cannot be too ear¬ 
nestly recommended as essential to the value 
of the fruit crop as well as to the health and 
longevity of the trees. 
Fourth —Of not less importance is annual 
pruning. We discard entirely the “ shorten¬ 
ing in” system, as generally understood, 
that is, the cutting back a port ion of the last 
year’s growth. The natural tendency of the 
tree to grow stocky is sufficient, with the 
annual thinning of the branches, to keep it 
in proper form. Nature knows better than 
we where and how to place the annual ter¬ 
mination ol' the limb, and so radical an inter¬ 
ference with her method as this "cutting 
back” can only be justified under exceptio¬ 
nal circumstances, or when climatic influen¬ 
ces require special treatment. We cut buck 
only to keep the head of the tree in propor¬ 
tion, and within reaching distance with u 
seven feet ladder. Any tendency to grow 
long, straggling branches, Is overcome by 
thinning the branches to the point of keeping 
an open, well ventilated top. This method 
in far l*ss expensive, for the tendency of 
‘‘shortening in” is to make the top more 
full and compact. Then, again, to have fair 
fnfit, and prevent a mass of feeble growth 
to fill the top with dead wood the following 
season, brings the necessity of much summer 
pruning. As to the yellows, thut great in¬ 
scrutable dread of the peach-grower, wo re¬ 
fer to the able report of our committee, with 
onlv this admouitiou, that with ax and 
spade and fire the most radical treatment 
brings the greatest safety. . 
To have in this New TV est the peach in full 
luxuriance and perfection, as in its native 
orient, with its most beautiful fruit, and 
health-giving delicacy, upon the table of rich 
and poor, should be warrant enough for the 
utmost diligence in its cultivation, for in the 
justice of God’s government we cannot ex¬ 
pect the continuance of a blessing we do not 
deserve and appreciate. 
--- 
POMOLOGICAL NOTES. 
Wild Goose Plum. —James Parker of 
Southern Mississippi, speaks highly (in the 
Horticulturist) of tits success with the Wild 
Goose plum, which ripens about t he same, 
time as Hate’s Early peach, or at that place 
from the 10th to the 20th of Juno. In the 
North it would ripen in August. Mr. P 
thinks it a better plum than the Red Mug- 
num Bonum—which, of course, would not be 
very high praise fora variety of OUT common 
dour Stic plum, but the. Wild Goose being a 
variety or the wild or Chickasaw species, we 
do not expect the richness and delicious 
quality of the Imperial Gage or Lawrence, 
but its free growth and great productive¬ 
ness, hardiness and handsome appearance, 
make it a valuable market sort. 
The Monarch of the West Strawberry, Mr. 
MlLLER of the Rural World thinks, from 
the result of some experiments he has made 
with it, is a good variety to force. 
<j$8t[tn d^ottorng. 
HAULING MANUEE. 
In the Rural of July 4, our friend “ West¬ 
ern New York” bestows Borne of his surplus 
wisdom upon the public upon the subject of 
hauling manure, all of which may be good 
enough in its way ; but no man of sense in 
these flay* thinkB of throwing manure down 
in heaps, there to lie and leach until one-half 
or more of the strength is washed into the 
ground directly under the heap, and at 
spreading one-half of t he pile is generally 
thrown within from four to six feet of the 
heap, leaving the bottom of the land with 
scarcely any. 
He says, “ 1 am always provoked when I 
see one man loading a wagon, hauling it a 
quarter or half a mile, unloading it and re¬ 
turning.” I am worse than that; I am al¬ 
ways mad when I see any one hauling out 
manure and throwing it down in heaps. The 
true way is to spread the manure from the 
wagon and spread it evenly over tho ground. 
It is easily done in that way for several rea¬ 
sons :—1. The load is portable, and can be 
moved forward to suit, enabling you to vary 
the amount put ou as circumstances require. 
2. There being ft good board bottom to shovel 
from, it is much easier to handle it than when 
lying on the ground. 3. From the elevated 
position on the wagon it requires only about 
one half the exertion to do the work that it 
does from the level of the ground. But the 
advocates of the heap theory will Bay, The 
manure wastes by being exposed to the sun 
and air. 1 have very little faith iu stfch 
theories. I have hauled manure and spread 
ou land in summer and left it until the next 
spring before tho ground was plowed, and 
never m my life did I see the same amount 
of manure produce better results. 
Clyde, July 6,1874. Northern Ohio. 
- 
TOP-DRESSING GRAS3 LAND. 
The Massachusetts Ploughman considers 
fall the best time for top-dressing grass 
lands, but thinks that if any one has manure 
to spare, just as the grass is starting into 
growth, it will not be wasted if applied 
then, but Unit the grass will grow up around 
it, giving it shade, keeping it moist, and 
preventing loss from evaporation. It is now 
too late to apply it for the first crop, but if 
fine manure should be evenly spread over 
the surface, as soon as the first crop is re¬ 
moved, it would be a great help to the 
aftermath. 
ECONOMICAL NOTES. 
Salting Hay.—H. P. Nelson asks, “ What’s 
the use of salting hayl” Some salt very 
green hay to prevent it from heating or 
molding, since salt absorbs moisture; others 
salt it because they think cattle relish and 
thrive on it better if it is salted when put in 
the mow; others don’t salt it because they 
think it an injury to the hay. When we 
have put very green hay into a mow, or hay 
a little damp, we have salted it. We never 
thought such hay injured stock; we know it 
preserves hay. 
Good Commercial Fertilisers never suffer 
from either experiment or analysis, pro¬ 
vided experiments with them are conducted 
intelligently and with a knowledge of their 
true character uud adaptation. But many 
good fertilizers have been condemned be- 
cause of just this want of knowledge on 
the part of the user. It is, therefore, of the 
utmost importance to those who deal in 
commercial fertilizers that the most com¬ 
plete directions for their use be furnished ev¬ 
ery purchaser. 
Guano Not an Excrement.—Dr. Uobel, 
after thorough microscopical examinations 
and acid tests, thinks the deposits of guano 
must be tho result of the accumulation of 
fossil plant* and animals, whose organic mat¬ 
ter has been transformed into nitrogenous 
substance, the mineral portion remaining in¬ 
tact. 
Leached Ashes for the Farm. —(R. S. P.)— 
Yes, by all means draw and apply all the 
leached and unleached ashes you cun get to 
your light sandy soil. It will pay you not 
only this, but the next twenty years to do it. 
Applying Guano Water to Plants.— One 
ounce of guano to a gallon of water, applied 
twice a week, is sufficient to give to plants 
in the garden or parterres. 
A “ Spoke Shave” or Spoke Knife ii rec¬ 
ommended by a Pennsylvania farmer as a 
tool that should be in every farmer’s tool- 
chest. 
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