Laying Down of Peach Trees. 
By WENDELL PADDOCK. 
Peach growing, from a commercial standpoint in Colorado, 
is largely confined to the western slope of the mountains. The 
trees find a congenial home in many localities in several counties, 
consequently large areas are devoted to the cultivation of this 
fruit. Peaches have been extensively tested in various fruit sec¬ 
tions east of the mountains, and in the Arkansas Valley in particu¬ 
lar an occasional fine crop is produced. Indeed some of the best 
exhibits at the State Fair last fall, were grown in this section. 
But in four years out of five, perhaps, late spring frosts or ex¬ 
treme cold in winter destroy the buds. North of the Valley, 
peaches are rarely produced unless the trees are protected in some 
manner. 
This experience, when success was just within reach, stimu¬ 
lated the growers in their efforts to overcome climatic conditions. 
Various devices were tried for protecting the trees during the 
winter and spring. These included wrapping the trees with cloth 
or covering with corn stalks, evergreen boughs, boards and, in 
fact, most anything that was at hand that might afford protection, 
but after several years trial, these methods were found to be of 
little use. In the fall of 1896, Hon. W. B. Felton, of Canon City, 
began experimenting with laying trees down, using two trees in this 
first trial. Mr. Felton was closely followed in this work by Mr. 
C. C. Rickard, also of Canon City, and to these two men belong 
the credit of working out this system of protecting trees in Colo¬ 
rado. And, in fact, after a rather hasty consultation of horticul¬ 
tural literature, I do not find any record of this method of protect¬ 
ing trees having been tried at an earlier date. 
From this modest beginning an industry has sprung that is 
now assuming no mean proportions in that vicinity. A large 
number of fruit growers have planted peach trees varying from a 
few to several hundred in number. Mr. Rickard is, perhaps, still 
the largest grower, having now 1,000 trees in bearing. 
The method of planting an orchard with the intention of 
laying the trees down during the winter, does not differ materially 
from that which is ordinarily observed. Some, however, claim 
that when the tree is planted the roots should be spread out on 
