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Early History of Peach in Virginia.

"Before closing this article [on peach tree], we shall
present to our readers the method practised by Mr. Bayley,
of Accomac County, Virginia, for cultivating this
tree, as communicated by Mr. Geddes.

" 'Mr. Bayley has now (1814) sixty three thousand
trees, and a large distillery which is employed only one
month in <s>the</s> a year. [' "]

" 'His peach orchards are planted in rows from
north to south, twenty feet apart, and in each row a
tree is planted every ten feet. 'He has tried a tree
at every twelve feet and prefers ten feet.  The stem,
from the ground to the limbs, is only two feet long,
the trees being less exposed to injury by the winds; and
in Mr. Bayley's opinion, the branches grow more upright,
and he is enabled to plough closer to the
tree than if the stems were longer. / [' "]

" 'He has tried Mr. Coulton's method of having no
stems. He puts stones in the ground any time between
November and April, but prefers December;
and cuts out dead and broken limbs, without
any other pruning. [' "]

" 'Ploughing and harrowing the orchards is
commenced when the spring frost is over; and
about this Mr. Bayley is very particular.  He plowed,
one year, a part in March; after which came
frost, and every peach dropped off the trees in the
part ploughed; [ begin left margin text]
[Prematured! See Mr. Hull's Alton Ill. Experience!]
[end left margin text] while those ploughed after the
frost, yielded a fine crop.  At present, he ploughed
in the latter part of April; again in May;
harrows in June; and again in July. [' "]

" 'The plough is a very light one, drawn
by one Horse or Mule, only scarifying the surface,
to keep down the grass and weeds, and not cutting
the roots of the peach trees, which run very shallow. [' "]

" 'His harrow is nothing but three hoes, nine
inches wide, each placed under a
triangular harrow frame; their situation
and shape thus, making together a
a breadth of twenty-seven inches. [' "] [sketch of three plow blades]
        