Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-06-07
i. lIINHSON.

the writer gives US philosophical reasons in
their support.
3. lIINNSoN.
PEACH TREES.
frequently hear complaints through 'hc
country, thai It has become almost impos-
sible TO cultivate the peach tree. It's like
wise remarked, that the fruit does not pos
scss the same rich flavor that it did some
wears AGO. believe it 70 be fact, from
nv own observation, that We have no Ion
ger the pleasure OF eating that delicious
fruit, with ali the fine flavors that it posses.
sed in former times. There must be some
natural cause for this failure. The climate
has not changed. The sun has not ceased
10 shine. Rains and SHOWS de: end as
formerly. Why then does the peach rec
not live, flourish and fructuate?
Ihave frequently heard it remarked tha;
the peach tree would on v do well in newly
settled countries. where there was nothing
but it and uncu1tivated fruits. The obscr-
va.'on is correct in part, that it only does
we'll in newly cultivated lands; but why
the Orchardist md Farmer have not eX.
amincd. or have not chemically inquired
into the cause of the death of ''.e tree and
,hefalurc of its fruit. kno" no. The
only subject 90 investigate in this inquiry.
< the si;la,ion the soil is in when the peach
tree is thrifty and bears we'll, and the mode
and manner of keeping the soil with the
same constituent properties. we sec I'M"
i is necessary that the sun should shine on
the tree and fruit in order 10 g!vc that tia.
vour which wc 50 much admire. 1t tic
trees IS in the shade, we find that there is
an excess of acid in The peach which re-.
dcrs it imp olitable-aboundlng with wateFy
find. Itthcretorc becomes necessary, that
at Ieas, a part of the days sun shou d shine
on the tree and lis fruit, 10 concentrate me
fluids. Further. VIC find that there IS out
one kind of soil that the peach tree Will i've
in. for the ordinary length of time they
will live in congenial soil, that has been un-
der cultivation, any number of years, (say
20 or upwards and that is rtddish c'"y
soil, which holds goody portion OF roa
insolution. This fall ate finely tlavoured
peaches from trees that were more than
% wears old. The trees had been planted
and raised in the above described soil. In
aNnew cultivated lands, W know that there
is going on continually, decomposition
of vegetable matter, say from the leaves
that have fallen from time immcmor'ai' rof'
ten timber and the dccaying OF the root
and stumps, &c. Our next irqnlry Will Oc'
what effects are We 10 expect from ,he ''e'
composition? One is, we know, that about
old buildings and rubbish Of all kinds,
the earth is always saturated with Saltpeter
or nitrc. held in solution, Gas both names
are applied to the same arlcl".) lhc earn
teinr mcasuraby saturated with ntre, the
tree is favored with nitrous dew; iot
nitrous acid will abound where nl're Is heo
in solution. There must, also, be wna
Chemists call the ::Hydrogen Gcs," io'
they say thatit has an active part 10 per
form in the dccomposing Of vegetable sub
stances, together with other gases: II i,
jsa fact land believe no one will deny IL
that those gases arc necessary to DC II
abundance, or that the atmosphere ought tc
be surcharged with them, tor the pFesci.
vation and active growth of the tree an1
its fruit more than for any other fruit rec
all we have to do 10 lave our tFult 'ceS
preserved TO longevity, and nave as rlcn'
delicious fruit, as formerly, is to generate
those gases which appear so eSscnta!
This nay be done in the following manner
When we have trees planted in grassy
soil, VIC ought to dcnudc the root OF the tret
by taking otfthe top soil for some distance
around the trcc(say one yarI) SO deep as tt
destroy the root Of the grass; fill that va
cancy with leaves, rotten logs, chips, OF
tanners bark. The latter, think will an
swer, though l would prefer the chips o
rotten wood, to any thing ese' for they vii
not produce so much moisture as tan bark
and as the ground where grass grows
measurably deprived Of of its n,tre, and
cold, the chips or rotten wood will general
nitre, warm the ground, destroy the gut
en- in the soil, and keep the earth IRON
frcezing,-thercby preventing the ,wree w
from heinz killed by the fross OF the mar