American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-07-13
CULTURE OF THE PEACH TREE.
ubished BY order of the Agricultural Society 0
Fayeue County.
layet,e County.


The subscriber having bestowed much Of bis
ii ne and attention to the cultivation and preserva-
Il N Of fruit trees, and willing to diuse any knowl
e ge he may possess on the subject submits for the
benefit OF the public at large, the following results
of nany experiments.
He has found, after adopting various modes in
rearing the peach tree, that none succeeded so wei
as the following in the fall OF the year. bury
the peach stones from which design TO raise trees
in hole under or inches OF earth, TO remain
there until the following Spring, when take them
up, and after cracking the stone carefully so as not
10 iniure the kernel, (ihe most Of which will be
found swollen and ready to sprout,) aud which
then plant in trench 8 or 10 inches apart, where
they are suffered to remain until the plant has ac-
Quired growth OF 3 or inches IN height, when
transplant them to the place designed tor my peach
orchard, placing,suall stones abouhe plants TO pre-
serve them from being injured by the cattle, &c
j is unnecessary to be more explicit on this part
of the suhiect-every farmer is acquainted with
the mode OF rearing, which is comparatively trihlng
compared with the preserving Of this valuable and
delicious fruit tree. Few have turned their aten
ton TO it, and or the few, the smallest number have
succeeded perhaps none have succeeded fully in
preserving the peach tee from decay for any length
of time. have, however, prevented the destruc
tion Of nv trees for several successive seasons and
am entirely convinced OF the efficacy of my plan in
destroying an insect, which, OF all other things,
believe most perncious 10 the tree II is TACT, oil
which perhaps few farmers aware, that the
peach tree receives its death by insect Of the fly
kind which annually deposits its eggs in the bark
of the root OF the tree. sometimes at or near the
sutilce oil the ground bat most generally under
the surface. The egg is deposited by making a
small perioration-these are sometimes numerous,
and IRON the circumstance of gum issuing out OF
the wounded parts, there is no doubt it materially
Injuries the health Of the tree.-knowing this TO be
the TACT, and believing the insect Just alluded 10, to
be the primary il no, The sole cause oil the failure
ct our peach orchards tried variety Of methods
TO destroy them, and have found the following TO
have the desirele ed effect lin The fall Of the year
Cat which time the eggs are deposlted) take for a
gtawn tree handful OF tobacco stems or, what
viii do equally we'll, about bali gallon oil wood
sshes and alter barring the roots, lay either Of them
on and about The trunk, and cover the whole wi b
earth the am BIER uf The tobacco and the I've OF
the ashe. are blth fatal TO the embryo insect, and
tiectuay destroy il. For young and healh!ul
tree, a much smaller quantity viii do, as they are
seldom disturbed by the insect, from the crcum-
stance oil their roots being less exposed than those
" old Tree
Many farmers, in my opinion, injure the health OF
the tree and bring premature decay by pruning.
have tired them with and without pruning, and
am decidedly against using the pruning hook al
all. The reasons in favor OF This plan are obvious.
suffer tie tree to grow as nature pleases and it
Will then assume shape we'll calculated to with
stand the shocks Of storms, and 10 bear its fruit with
olt props. In pursuing opposite plan, BY cut
ting of The first branches that appear, long body
is formed and the tree ultimately divides into two
or three man branches. which. when loaded with
fruit, or during high winds, apt to split asunder
and the death of the tee ensues. 1t is tue have
found 1t necessary sometimes to prop my trees, but
il suffering their growth to be natural, they never
acquire great height, and form peculiar shape,
which IS given them by ma ure, The load is SO equal
y distributed that the necessary propplng is easily
done.
In addition to what | have already stated, il may
not be improper to add, that an intelligent farmer
informed me, that merely 10 heap the earth about
me root of the tree in the fall Of the year. and re
moving it again when the winter sets in would de-
s'roy the insect whose eggs would be exposed the
severe lrosls. have never tried this experiment.
but am Of opinion, it would have good effect. 1t
is from rs simplicity well worthy .ral.
JOHN HACKNEY.
.Note.-I prefer ashes, because it is always at
hand and because it is really good manure for
peach trees. have found sandy soil best both for
nursery and orchard. J. II.
stPri IA, 1924.
a Schoolmaster (~orthy brother Of the scholar
in itleroces) taught his boys whenever they heard
8, Il -.