1885 
Taa-vv 
Ajouu^-yjcc^a lo S-eslicoxi \,\ve-wv, e\De-a 
as a EcToi ^ox \joux\(j cVWdxcxv. 
^Eljg ^M BRICAN GARDEN. 
AMERIOAN nrSTlTDXE FAEMEES' OLUB. 
ruACH CULTum.;. 
'J’hc meetings of tills Club, which arc held 
every 2d and 4th Tuesday afternoon of each 
mouth at the Cooper Union, New York, are 
always interesting and enjoyable. At a ro- 
eent meeting Mr. J. T. Lovett of Little Sil¬ 
ver, N. -T., read the following ]iaper, which 
is so full of solid, practical information, and 
at the same time, given'in so condensed a 
form, that we print it in full: 
So many owners of farms in the vicinity of 
New York are ende.avoring to learn to what 
purpose their laud may be devoted so as to 
yield profitable returns, it is quite surprising 
that so few engage in Peach culture. First, 
because the returns from a successful Peach 
orchard are so great; secondly, because a 
Peach farm can be managed so easily by the 
owner, who is perhaps engaged in other 
piu-suits in the city; requiring very little at¬ 
tention or looking after by him except dur¬ 
ing the shipping season, when the orchard 
has arrived at bearing age. Should the 
owner of a garden plant twelve Peach-trees 
each season, of good varieties, and give 
them the simple culture requh-ed, he and 
his family could revel in Peaches for a 
season of three months. 
SOIL. 
The Peach is a native of Persia, hence it 
is obvious that it requires a warm soil; in 
fact, it will be useless to plant Peach-trees 
upon soil where the water stands near or 
upon the surface. If not well drained nat- 
lu'ally it must be drained artificially. The 
best soil for Peaches is a sandy loam, not 
highly chai-ged with vegetable matter. 
PLANTING. 
In planting Peach-trees, early spring is 
much the best season, although they can be 
planted in the autumn with success, provid¬ 
ing proper care is observed, viz.: that the roots 
do not become frozen before they are placed 
in the soil, and a mound of earth about a 
foot in height placed at the base of each 
tree to prevent swaying. Plant no deeper 
than the trees stood in the nursery and make 
the soil very firm. The distance to plant 
depends somewhat upon the character of the 
soil. On a light, sandy, porous soil a dis¬ 
tance of fifteen feet each way will be far 
enough; while on the other hand, should 
the soil be sandy loam or qpite loamy, eight¬ 
een or twenty feet apart each way will be 
none too far. I usually plant eighteen -feet 
apart each way, requiring one hundred and 
thirty-four trees per acre. 
PRUNING. 
•Perhaps no other fruit-tree sufi'ers so 
•nuch from neglect of pruning, both at the 
time of planting and in after years, as the 
Peach. This is owing not only to the fac . 
that the Peach requires annual pruning 
more than almost any other fruit-bearing 
^'’®e—^but also because no other fruit-tree 
receives so little or is so often neglected. 
91 
ha,? «'muld bo cut 
rtenLiV of the main 
two (Ill 7 severed at about 
Z.: , ground. 
Small trees should be pruned to a whip, cut- 
w„v ? ‘ "®“rly one-half the 
w vy to (he ground. In order to produce what 
sknowu as the bush form-a system followed 
y many successful Peach growers—sever 
the main steni from twelve to eighteen inches 
Jioin the ground, causing many shoots to be 
produced near the earth. Subsequent prun¬ 
ing consists of an annual cutting back of the 
ma((i branches, forming a symmetrical con¬ 
tour, and ajudicious thinning of the branches. 
CCLTUUK. 
Nothing can be more sinqile than tlie cult¬ 
ure required by the Peach. It is simply to 
keep the surface always mellow and free of 
weeds. In other words, it needs only the 
culture that one would give Corn. For the 
first two years after planting, hoed crops 
may be planted between the trees with ad¬ 
vantage ; after which time they require the 
entire strength of the soil. Grain crops of 
all kinds are I'ery injurious, and it is rare 
that Peaches will succeed in sod or grass. 
In nialdng the annual plowing in spring, it 
is well to use a light plow, plowing very 
shallow, that the roots may not be mutilated 
or disturbed. In keeeping the surface (nel- 
low and free of weeds, I have found nothing 
so admirable and rapid in performing the 
work as tlie Ac(ne Harrow; although any 
hnplemeiit that will produce the desired 
result can of course be used. 
Fertilizers. < 
As is well known the Peach is a heav}’- 
feeder of potash, hence potash should be 
supplied in some form. I ])refer unleached 
or live wood ashes for this purpose to any¬ 
thing else, provided they can be had at a 
satisfactory figure, namely, 30 to 35 cents per 
bushel, delivered. I have also employed 
muriate of potash with good results. I pre¬ 
fer to apply broadcast always in spring, and 
harrow in. The Peach also demands a lib¬ 
eral supply of phosphoric acid. This is to 
be obtained in its best and cheapest form in 
pure ground bone, or at least I have always 
had good success from using this fertilizer. 
I do not recommend using stable manure for 
the Peach, the tendency being to produce an 
productive and more susceptible to injuiy m 
winter. 
enemies and drawbacks. 
The chief enemies of the Peach are the 
o-rub or borer, and that terrible scourge, the 
yellows. The former is easily overcome. 
All th.at is necessary is to exaiuine the bodies 
of the trees early in the spring and extranet the 
o-rubs with a sharp-pointed blade of a knife. 
They will be found just beneath the sui-face 
of the soil, and their presence will be read¬ 
ily detected by the gum formed from the 
«-5i,fiino-saiJ. As a preventive of the boiei, 
place at the base of eacli tree a shovelful of 
sl'icked lime or several of coal ashes. 
The yellows, which has proved so disas- 
JL .0 I >« ch «.««"7 
sivelv cleiTiousti*it6ci oy 
and since the , ^ yan han- 
hW trees supposed to 
have the yellows are not in reality affected 
with the disease, their sickly appearance 
being the result of improper nourishment in 
the form of potash and phosphoric acid. I 
have known trees tiiat were affected with the 
yellows in reality which were restored, not 
only to vigor but also to fruitfulness, by a 
liberal application of muriate of potash and 
severe pruning. These are the only reme¬ 
dies that 1 have to offer, and I am thoroughly 
convinced they are the only ones necessary 
to battle with this dire enemy. 
Tlie great drawback to Peach culture in 
the vicinity of this city, and northward, how¬ 
ever, is the killing of the buds in winter. 
As many are aware, prior to the winter of 
1881-82, Peach buds were not injured to any 
extent throughout the Hudson River dis¬ 
trict and southward lor a period of at least 
ten years; but since then they have been in¬ 
jured to a greater or less extent each winter. 
Hut this is no reason why they should be in¬ 
jured in the future. Were it not lor this 
one risk Peaches would soon be groivn so 
largely that the producers of even the finest 
crops would not find them profitable. We 
must take the risk to secure the gain. 
VARIETIES. 
In planting for market a great mistake is 
often committed by selecting an extended 
list of varieties. The varieties of Peaches 
for profit that can be counted on the fingers 
of one hand, are worth more than all the 
others combined; further, in marketing it is 
necessary to have a number ripening at one 
time, that they may be gathered and shipped 
economically. With the amateur planter the 
case is different. He may consider it deshable 
to have a number of sorts, both to extend the 
season to its full limits, and also for the 
sake of variety. 
Were I confined to a single variety it 
would be that grand old sort Oldmixon 
Free, often termed “Old Reliable.” As the 
three best varieties, all things considered, I 
woiUd name Mountain Rose, Oldmixon Free 
aud Crawford's Late, ripening in the ordei' 
named. Were I to add two others they 
would be Amsden’s June, or Alexander’s 
Early, ripening in advance of the preceding, 
and Stephen’s Rareripe—succeeding them 
all. As the best arid most profitable en¬ 
tirely white Peach I would name Keyport 
undue leafy o-rowth, rendering the trees un- Wiite. The best of aU clingstones is that 
-j.. 5.. large and beautiful sort. Heath Cling, espec¬ 
ially valuable for making “Brandy Peaches.” 
There are many other deshable and profit¬ 
able varieties, such as Beers’ Smock and Bil- 
yeu’s October—both of which ripen very late; 
Crawford’s Early aud Foster—two large and 
beautiful yellow flesh varieties, ripening in 
midseason; Mrs. Brett and Lord Palmerston, 
perhaps the most beautiful of all Peaches 
and as delicious as they are handsome; 
Stump the World, ripening immediately after 
Oldmixon Free and very similar to it in all 
respects; Ward’s Late Free, also similar to 
the Oldmixon Free in a general sense, biit 
ripening a month later. For canning, the 
yellow-fleshed Peaches are preferable, among 
the best of which may be named Crawford’s 
Early, Crawford’s Late and Beers’ Smock, 
ripening in tlie order named. Especially 
hardy varieties — that pass the wintei'S with 
most impunity — are Crawford’s Early, 
Jacques’ Rareripe,Hlll’s ChiU or Jennie Lind, 
Stephen’s Rareripe, Mrs. Brett and Pratt. 
