RIPENING FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER 
33 
for home consumption, makes peach growing one of our most profitable in¬ 
dustries. 
The California Peach Growers Association represents 6,000 growers. It is 
incorporated for $1,000,000, and now controls 85% or more of the tonnage sold 
on the market. Since this Association has been formed, grades have been 
standardized and prices have been obtained which have been remunerative to 
the grower and gives an impetus to the planting of new acreage. 
The trees do best on well-drained, sandy loam and white ash soils. If 
planted on heavy soils, care must be taken to have it well drained. The so* 
called “hard-pan lands,” if properly blasted allowing the roots to extend into 
the deep, free soil below, produces fruit of the finest quality and the trees are 
very prolific. Such land is usually rough and requires leveling before planting. 
It is always advisable to have the land well plowed and harrowed before 
planting. When the trees are set, cut them back to 18 inches from the top ol 
the ground and shorten in all lateral branches, if any, to two buds. 
The first winter after planting cut away all branches up to 12 inches from 
the ground and leave from three to five branches to form the head of the tree 
and prune these back to 12 inches. These framework branches should be dis¬ 
tributed on the trunk of the tree to prevent crowding and development of 
forks. Forked trees, when loaded with fruit, are liable to split down and ruin 
or entirely kill the tree. 
The second winter thin out the small lateral branches leaving not more than 
two or three on each of the framework branches and cut these back about one- 
half. This system can be followed each year but thinning of lateral branches 
must be resorted to in order to prevent smothering the inside of the tree. 
As a rule, peaches are set from 20 to 24 feet apart. On light soils set the 
trees 20 feet apart, but on heavier soils 22 to 24 feet is preferable. 
The trees in favored localities begin bearing the fourth or fifth year and at 
six years begin to bear profitable crops of fruit. 
Peaches are divided into two classes, viz., Freestones and Clingstones. Some 
of the very early varieties of the freestones cling slightly to the pit, which, 
however, is not an objectionable feature. The freestone varieties are used for 
canning, drying and shipping, while the clingstones are principally used for 
canning and shipping. The freestones best suited for canning are Foster, El- 
berta, Lovell and Salway; those for drying are Elberta, Muir and Lovell. 
One of the most important points in peach culture is the proper thinning of 
the fruit. Thin the fruit so that it will not be less than 4 to 6 inches apart 
&nd the result will be a fine merchantable product that will command the best 
price on the market. 
NOTE.—For the convenience of our customers Clingstone varieties are so 
designated in the name of each, i. e., Tuscan Cling, Peak’s Cling, Phillips 
Cling, etc. All other varieties not so marked are Freestones. 
DRYING OF PEACHES 
In drying peaches great care should be exercised so as to obtain a clean, well 
colored, and desirable product which always tends to make it more salable. 
Fruit should never be picked, for drying, until well ripened at which time it 
contains its largest quantity of sugar, dries very rapidly, weighs heavy, and 
makes a large percentage of fancy fruit. In picking up fruit which has dropped 
voluntarily, sunburnt and green shriveled fruit should never be taken, as it 
only tends to lessen the value of the good product and reduces the profits. 
In cutting fruit one should be careful to see that a complete circle of the 
fruit, with the knife, is made otherwise it is partly torn and when dried pre¬ 
sents a very poor appearance. 
In placing the fruit on trays, which are used for sulphuring and drying, it 
should all be .placed face up; the tray having cleats of sufficient height 
to admit the largest peaches without touching other trays when stacked. These 
trays should not be allowed to stand longer than is absolutely necessary before 
entering the sulphur house. When this is allowed a crust forms on the fruit 
and proper sulphuring is very difficult. 
When the fruit is put in the sulphur house sufficient, good sulphur to insure 
best results is placed in a receptacle usually in a hole in the ground at the end 
of the sulphur house, about twelve to eighteen inches deep and lighted. The 
house is then tightly closed and should, in order to receive best results, be 
allowed to remain closed from six to eight hours after which the fruit is taken 
from the sulphur house and laid out in a drying yard which should be as 
smooth and dustless as possible. 
To insure best results fruit should be left out in the sun until about one-half 
dried, then stacked and left in the stacks until it is sufficiently dry to box. 
