Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-05-01
AGRICULTURAL MATTERS.
PaACa CULTURE.
How TO Have Thrifty Trees and Pro-
long Their Yield

Tbs article Is here reprinted for the ,
benefit of readers of the GAzRTTR AND
JOURNAL:
During about 40 years. have annually
more or less 10 the A serican
Farmer, especially sitter the late Charles
b. Calvert conferred upon me the disinc
tion as the frat chemist Of the State
Agricultural Society.
The live subjects of each year are gem
orally Indicated by the letters which the
most intelligent farmers write, asking
advice.
AS the peach is the sutjsot OF recent
letters, and many in the lower part of
this Peninsula are now planting, while
the bulk of tue peach trses in tbis vicinity
are being uprooted, brief result Of ny
experience with hundred acres Of trees
may be appreciated.
have planted several orchards, but
have never been compelled to uproot one,
though my successor, on the ssms land,
has not been so fortunate as to the
longevity of his orchards, and am thus
more than ever convinced that my system
Of culture is not only the bast, but the
most economical, especially ii all peach
growers would oon6ne this cultivation to
ten acres, and thus escape tue ruinous
game 80 extensively played OF late years
Whether the bonanza system of farming |
will ultimately make farming mere
factory system remains TO b. determined, |
but 1t must be admitted tEst capitalists |
farm the farmers now, even as to |
tomatoes.
The recent prizes as to crops of corn |
demonstrate two facts /; first, that the pro
portion of rain determines the prize, in
spite Of equal or better cultivation
second, that such cultivation is less
economical than the rude system. Pre-
cisely so must IL ever be as TO peach
culture, If farmers vie as to the bulk OF
their crop-and while they do SO, my
successor is wise in departing from my
system of peach culture, as tn above
demonstrations as to the possibilities IL
relation to corn, do not change "the Ii
bushels average" as TO the state or county
either.
After all others in this vicinity were
discouraged, and all the Immense orchards
were uprooted, demonstrated peach
trees may survive tee parasites which
usually destroy the trees, after the first
fruiting. Moreover, that the late frosts
were not necessarily destructive TO the
fruit and at meeting OF the largest
peach growers on this Peninsula was
requested to give them the peouliarities
OF my cultivation, as the average price,
during the whole season, at which l sold
was about double that OF another large
shipper at this wharf, and my orchard
had repeatedly stood alone as productive.
AT that time | was disposed TO attribute
my success, during the failure of nearly
ali my neighbors, to the fact that
tide water surrounded my orchard two or
three times day, and tue mud in its
absence contained more than 70 per cent
OF water, which must elevate the temper.
AZURE should it treezs in the spring /; al
freezing is warming process, especially
when the relative surface Is sufficient
"a tub OF water in room will thus pre-
vent flowers from the injury which they
would otherwise receive from FROST
Moreover, the exercise of their vital forces
protects them precisely as it protects
animals from freezing, and this, as in tn,
animal, can be regulated by food. Tn,
three most important factors, as 10 sue
cess, are; first, protection from the lat
frOsts in this climate; second, the protec
ton against parasites third, judicou
use Of manure. II with reference to thi
Peninsula, parasites should proceed
climate in importance they are bot
vegetable and animal, but the vegetsbl
have the precedence. have 5uooeede
In raising one good watermelon On a be
which during the previous year produce
several dozen, remarkable Tor their exec
lence, but it is admitted that seoon
crop OF peach trees must suocumb to thea
pests. My trees not only excelled i
producing good crops when universe
failure occurred on account of trost, bu
they outlived other orchards on Lh
contiguous farms by many years cons'
quently, ss these parasites u!timatel
determine whether the orchard shall l
uprooted, and the proportion Of dsteotiy
trees is the indication, my mode OF trsa
ment has been abundsutly dsmonstrste
the most successful since my suceesst
has uprooted the treeB on Uuutigunr
fields that were not thus cultivated, q
of which have been planted since on DO.
sides Of my orchard, which embrace
alb nut 100 acres.
- In proportion to the vitality Of the tire
so is its chance in not only resisting IL
frost, but alao the mischief resulting fro
parasites that is manifested by premstu
fruit and yellows. The microscope
monstrstes that the yellowa in the peso
Nv ths sa,ns ,,,o,ii,,rn ~, saaw,
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ara sbor,ad !, TSonar,ior % 80 "n
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We. pIsnteA :" pooi o"tt %uiou WY Wy
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as, eHu tos msu uieu uN,ti el'ei VIZ
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toI 81 u9s 'Ii snAe my A7 mu
sseiHss tue yei'O"s ~, as III
meLe peiofe fultlnb' m"reofe,t '
eys1enA.io anu annual aPpiloS'ign
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H ni4 HIso 'ne p eHvu unosu w animal Pai
sue, "ntou usually lLleSs7 'he tfees wi
"Vn9 'As' ore @AH4o9' az Laval as
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