Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-15
Peach Culture.

There is no fruit more easily produced than
the peach. You have but to plant the pit in
the winter or fall, allow the seeding to grow
one summer and bud the stem in the fall and
the next spring, after the bud starts, cut of the
natur4l top and allow the bud to grow. The
second year from the bud, if well taken care
OF, the tree will blossom and produce few
peaches. The third year quite crop may
be counted on, and the fourth year full crop.
This was the way peach orchards were grown
and came into bearing in the early days of
California. The peaches of 1854 and the
few succeeding years, not only astonished
those who produced them, but they aston
ished everybody who saw them. Peaches
were the first fruit raised to any extent until
about 1855 when pears, apples, apricots
and nectarines began to make their
appearance They were in those early days
not only our first but our best fruit. Not
raised and the early bearing nature of the
trees, and notwithstanding there has not yet
appeared in the State any insect that Injuries
the tree or destroys the fruit, such has been
the general neglect of this luscious fruit that
we almost had no peaches in the market dur
ing the last season. There is no good reason
for this neglect of so good and universally
acceptable fruit If we desired to embark
in fruit culture at almost any point IN Cali
fornia there is no fruit we would plant SO
heavily of as the peach. We believe there is
moro money in peaches for the next ten to
fifteen years in this State than in any other
one fruit. OF course the peach is like all
other kinds of fruit-that is, very much de-
ponds on the selection of the varieties, and
very much also upon the character of the soil
and upon the care given to the trees. For
profit, the very early and the very late yari-
cites are doubtless the best, for the best
prices viii be secured for those that ripen at
such times as there are but com aratve4y few
in the market. For preserving or can
ming, the white pulp peaches are pref
cradle. and although the free stones are
more likely to find general demand and
large consumption, We confess a liking to
some of the best varieties of clings either for
eating or preserving in sugar or cans. The
best soil fer peaches is warm ard rather
sandy loan. 1t must be well drained so that
the feet or lower roots viii be perfectly free
from water or stagnant moisture. With good
drainage from below the peach tree will do
well with a considerable water, especially
when the fruit is nearly grown but without
good drainage the application of water in ex-
cess will do go greater injury to the peach
than to most any other fruit. The peach tree
needs great deal of pruning and cutting
back in this State to prevent Overlooking,
and to keep up new and vigorous growth Of
healthy bearing wood. The tree, if allowed
TO grow when in state of nature, is very
shortlived, but with good care to keep the
process of renewal going constantly on, it is
as long-ived as most other fruit trees. Yves
10 reason why we cannot produce just as
good peaches as in the early days Of the State,
but that we do not Is certain, and that we do
not is most certainly attributable to neglect,
and not to any change of climate, soil, or any
other natural causes.