FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
209 
tection or on lower ground, as the risk 
from damage from frost is not so great. 
There'is a very common error in plant¬ 
ing peach trees, in not taking the earli¬ 
ness or otherwise of the variety into 
consideration when the location for 
each is being selected. 
This brings us to the consideration 
of the importance of varieties selected 
to suit the location in which they are 
to be grown. This point has been cov¬ 
ered at various times in many series of 
articles or bulletins, so we will do no 
more than allude to it in as brief a 
manner as possible. There are five 
general groups or types into which the 
varieties of peach trees are divided, 
namely, the Peen-to, the South China 
Type, the Spanish or Indian Type, the 
North China Type, and the Persian 
Type. For northwestern Florida the 
North China type, such as the Elberta, 
seems the most adaptable; for east 
Florida in the north section the Span¬ 
ish type for late fruit and the Peen-to 
and South China types are the most 
acceptable without going into specify¬ 
ing each variety, such as the Waldo, 
etc. For South Florida, the Jewel of 
the Peen-to type is the favorite and 
best from a commercial standpoint, and 
for this district there are many other 
varieties, but almost exclusively of the 
Peen-to type, such as Waldo, Hall’s 
Yellow, Angel, Millen’s Favorite, a new 
variety originating from Dade City, 
and the Rival. An important feature 
in this selection of varieties, however, 
is the fact that all with the exception 
of the Jewel will come into competition 
in the market with peaches from other 
sections, but the Jewel is invariably two 
weeks ahead of all others, hence its im¬ 
portance from a commercial standpoint. 
Relati ve to planting, the soil should 
be well prepared for the trees by early 
breaking and thorough harrowing, and 
trees are best planted in December or 
January, although under favorable con¬ 
ditions they may be planted much later. 
Trees should be set from 15 to 20 feet 
apart each way, the closer distance per¬ 
haps being the better. In many in¬ 
stances peach trees are planted in cit¬ 
rus groves alternating with each tree, 
so if the grove is planted 30 feet from 
tree to tree, the peaches intervene at 
15 feet. While we do not advocate this 
as good practice, preferring to set 
peaches as peaches and citrus as citrus, 
keeping each separate, it is quite ad¬ 
missible where the necessities or re¬ 
quirements of the grower call for such 
an arrangement, such as gaining time 
for returns to help his grove expense or 
in utilizing to the utmost a small area. 
Before planting all tops should be cut 
back closely, the roots freshly pruned 
upon putting the tree into the ground, 
and where it is on plum-stock set with 
the union 4 to 5 inches below the sur¬ 
face. Trees on plum-stock may be 
planted on either old or new land with 
every success, and in the event of any 
dying they may be replaced and the 
orchard maintained indefinitely. Trees 
on peach-stock should be set only on 
new land and even then only where the 
soil conditions are clay or moist. 
Cultivation of a peach orchard should 
not be haphazard, but carefully carried 
out. Give clean cultivation the first 
✓ 
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