The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-19
Peach Culture,
bdCl OuIIUTt,
]. L. Lovett's Catalogue.

J. Il. Lovett's Catalogue.
The peach requires a warm, dry soil dds
playing the aversion to water of q cat) that is
but moderately rich in fertility, but as it is
a gross feeder and draws heavily upon the
soil, especially of potash, nutriment should
be supplied in the form of bonedust and
potash. Wood ashes are excellent, as are
also some of the commercial fertilizers-no-
tably pure, ground bone. Potash should be
supplied in abundance by all means, for not
only is it useful in supplying the require
ments of the tree, but in repelling the 'yel-
lows" the great enemy oi the peach. Mu-
riate of potash is the best form to USE APP
plying broadcast always. In preparing
for planting, the land should be plowed
thoroughly and as deep as possible,
without bringing to the surface the sub
soil, following in the furrow with Goodall
or other good subsoil pillow. The trees may
be planted fifteen or twenty feet apart each
way, owing to the character of the soil-the
more sandy the soil the more closely they
may be planted-the usual distance being
sixteen or eighteen feet apart each way. The
best way to mark out the ground for plant
ing is to furrow it with one-horse pillow both
ways at the desired distances. In planting
be careful to cut off all bruised or broken
roots smoothly, ana trim back all side
branches to within few inches of the main
stem-small ones to a whip-and cut back
the main stem at least one-third its length.
Many, particularly at the South, prefer to
have the trees head low, and to cause them
to do this cut off the entire tree eighteen
inches to two feet above the collar
when planting The first two years after
planting, beets, mangels, sweet potatoes
or other hoed crops may be planted among
the trees after which time they should be
given the full use of the soil; and whether
the space between the trees be devoted to
hoed crops while they are young or not the
soil then and in after years should be kept
always as mellow and as free of weeds
throughout the season as a field of corn;
being careful never to disturb or injure the
roots while blowing or cultivating. A peach
orchard should never be planted to grass or
grain crops, as such are exceedingly detri-
mental to the trees. Although the peach is
more generally neglected in pruning than
any other orchard fruit yet there is none that
more literally repays for the trouble and ex-
pense, both in the superior yield of the
fruit and maintaining vigor and fruitfulness.
The peach should be annually headed in to
produce sturdy tree with round, compact
head, instead of being allowed to grow into
one with an open, spreading, unsymmetrical
top as usually seen. In pruning always use
sharp tools. The trees should be examined
carefully early in the spring of each year, for
borers or grubs, to be found in their bodies
just at or Immediately beneath the surface
of the ground. Their presence will be de-
tected from the gum formed by the exuding
sap-when they should be extracted with a
sharp pointed knife. AS preventive of the
borer, place at the butt of each tree shovel
full of Stacked lime or several of coal ashes.