The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-04-24
Peach CuItHre-..NO. 3.
BY IL. W. STACKHoUSE.

BY IL. w. STACKHoUSE.
| shall continue my article on Peach
Culture. We all know, or should
know the value of economy in labor I;
when the trees are planted on rolling
ground and the rows for cotton put on
level, the peach tree rows are far
enough apart for the pillow to break up
thoroughly all the ground between,
which prevents grass and weeds from
interfering, without hoe work, at the
same time promoting drainage and
helps the atmosphere to act ON the
rootlets. When the cotton or pea
rows are in strait lines from North
East to Southwest, so will the peach
rows be. To obviate this you can
resort to the QuIncunX system, the dot
ted lines show the cotton and pea rows.
Why do | say pea and cotton rows:
Both of these are no way injurious to
the peach tree, the latter being a good
fertilizer, especially when plowcd in.
An orchard should be thoroughly cul-
tivated, and to be remunerative after
it will not pay in cotton, peas should
be resorted to. Pruning cutting back
and setting out, should be done soon
after the leaf falls. This enables the
tree to recover from any injury it may
have sustained, and in a bearing
orchard preparation is made for the
coming season. | believe there is an
instinct here that influences the tree |
for her welfare, which we may, by |
not considering properly, act to her
prejudice. May not a provision be
made in the root for the fruit and a
foliage the coming season. We prune
and cut back in the spring after this
provision has been made for large
yield of growth and fruit by the roots.
We have now Il disproportion. What
is the consequence Of seasonable
year-an overflow Of sap, souring the
small branches and rotting the fruit.
Our next best consideration, the
causes of death to the peach tree:
There are three, the borer and sun,
and a malady having no better name
| shall call the malignant disease. l
once thought there was no enemy so
potent of evil as this borer; expert
cnce has forced me to think differently.
The borer will kill (oven then not in
the same degree as the moth in the
feeble beehive. So will this worm, the
feeble tree and only when young; Lut
the vigorous tree has an innate power
that counteracts his work Of destruc
ton by throwing out granuIations as
he gnaws round, by the time his
WORKS is through, the work Of counter
action is nearly completed With
these views, never trouble the tree
about worms, and farther, | have
come to conclusion by destroying :
these examinations in my search for
the worms, do more harm than good.
The sun rays in July and August,
do an immense amount Of mischief;
destroys 100 to by the borcr. have
by direction Of rows, cutting back ,
with pieces of plank, given the remedy /
for this great evil, | wish | had a c
for tine malignant disease. l !
will describe the disease, point out the :
causes and the prevention will suggest |
itself. The worm has had imputed t
to it most Of the injury done by it. t
Gum ut the union of the stem with \
the root, is an infaIlibIe symptom, so
it is Of tine borcr, the difference, that |
IT the disease il pure gum, and in its .
advanced stage darker, whilst that Of il
he worm has a material similar to v
saw dust. If tree is examined in
Is incipient stage you find instead Of
gum a Watery oxidation. The bark
: soft and friablc. When fully {
around, the tree above may c
or while look all right, whilst at II
he same time the root is dead; at s
his junction in very malignant cases, b.
have seen it extend more than
Dot above the ground, throwing out
obules Of gum along the shaft Of the L,
rec, within the bark perfectly dead,
;hilst still in full foliage. The causes: in
'resh land [ think, owing to too hi
luch acidity, as it shows itself most II
/ soils Astounding in sheep sorrel. | 50
mink the prevention here, lime and III
shes. h;
a rich sol IS promotivc Of it, this is GO
ne reason why | would have trees IN
loroughly plowed around. 1t large a
: abounds in pcbly or bog ore land, al
Inch is always wet and cold. Here ,
would suggest never have this kind DC
soil for orchards. What | have WI
ritten on peach culture has been the go
suit of more than thirteen years i0l
lpcrcnce | have cndeavorcd to NJ
ake it as concise as possible, causing th
hat have presented to be as little We
as possible. / have tfi
riltcn. to be understood, and not for WI
spay or exhibition.
UiIil-U what il II? ~