BRIEF ACCURATE FACTS ABOUT THE VARIETIES 
Be Particular About Your Source of Trees 
Too often in the past when even a 
single new variety of fruit has been in¬ 
troduced, more than one variety has ac¬ 
tually been distributed under the new 
name as in the case of the Wilma and 
Shipper’s Late Red peaches in recent 
years. 
Where as many as twelve new varieties 
are introduced the chance for mixtures 
and substitutions is greatly increased. In 
fact, it requires an acquaintance with the 
tree characters and personal integrity on 
the part of the propagators if the varie¬ 
ties are to be kept distinct. 
A period of not less than four summers 
as a rule is necessary to bring a commer¬ 
cial peach orchard into bearing; four 
seasons of tillage, pruning, spraying, con¬ 
trol of pests and general care. What a 
disappointment and loss if the trees at 
that time prove to be a lot of misfits or 
have some serious weakness or disease! 
In these modern times it is important to 
know just who really grew the trees and 
where they were grown. The particular 
grower will not wish to plant trees that 
have been “jobbed around.” There is too 
much at stake. 
The Source of Bud Wood is of the Utmost Importance 
Two features in the propagation of 
nursery trees are now of outstanding im¬ 
portance to purchasers and planters of 
trees. Peach diseases have increased in 
numbers and spread to an alarming ex¬ 
tent in recent years. This is not surpris¬ 
ing when one considers the free and care¬ 
less manner in which seeds, buds, trees 
and fruits of the peach are transported 
and distributed today. 
Buds later used in propagation are 
often cut by persons who are unable to 
identify even such old diseases as yellows 
or little peach, not to mention the new 
ones such as the X disease, mosaic and 
peach canker. Trees are often grown in 
one region but sold and resold elsewhere 
with no statement as to the origin of the 
propagating wood or where the trees were 
actually grown. The grower who has a 
peach orchard free from the virus dis¬ 
eases and canker should be much con¬ 
cerned about adding any new trees to his 
planting unless he definitely knows that 
the region from which propagating wood 
was obtained and where the trees were 
grown is free from the newer diseases. 
Inspection Has 
It may be contended that if nursery 
stock is officially inspected it should be 
safe to plant the trees even if grown in a 
locality where one of the new virus dis- 
Its Limitations 
eases occurs. Actually, however, a tree 
may be infected by a virus disease for a 
considerable period without showing any 
visible external symptoms. 
Rootstocks 
From a commercial standpoint, hardy, 
productive peach trees mean a hardy, 
healthy, vigorous rootstock. Seedlings of 
some peaches make poor stocks because 
the trees are more susceptible to collar 
rot and various root troubles. In recent 
years, some of the sources of peach seed 
have become more variable in type and 
quality and less dependable. Peach pits 
are sometimes collected from a great va¬ 
riety of tree types, including commercial 
varieties, which means a great variation 
in the vigor and type of trees which de¬ 
velop in the nursery and in the orchard. 
The New Jersey Peach Council has not 
overlooked this situation. The peach stock 
offered for sale in the fall of 1940 ami 
in the spring of 1941 has been grown 
from seed of a single varietal type secured 
from a region free from virus diseases 
such as yellows, little peach, phony peach 
and the X disease. This tends to insure 
a healthy uniform type of root system 
upon all of the trees. 
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