Milford chronicle., 1889-11-01
Care and Culture of Peach Or
chard.
FROM THE PREPARATION OF ~ GRoUS
TO MARKETING THE CROP.

FROM THE PREPARATION OF ~ GROUND,
TO MARKETING THE CROP.
The following paper WAS read by
VIM. P. Corsa last Saturday afternoon
before the Milford Grange:
mistake in the selection of proper plot
for corn or potatoes involves loss for one
year only, but like mistake in locating a
peach orchard is possibly a mistake for
thirty years; period of time that compre-
hends so large a portion Of mans life that
its issues fall little short ofthose which come
Of the determining of ones vocation.
Whether rolling land or level plot is Sc
lected, there should positively be no spots in
it where even occasional rains make water
to stand in ponds upon the surface. Such a
plot whether new land or land long in til
lage, if in such state of fertility throughout
its entire area, as that a hundred bushels of
round potatoes, or forty Tread sixty but
changed at request of Grange e)bushelsofshell-
ed corn can be produced on 1t with ordinary
fertilizing, will give the most even and salts
factsry growth Of trees, and with but moder.
bearing begins, such plots take the laed as
profitable orchards in our State. Many plets
Of new land have been, and are being set,
with the stumps and roots of the previous
forest, impeding cultivation. On such, corn
between the peach trees is a favorite by crop
for the subjugation ofthe land. It may not
be denied that an occasional satisfactory or.
49, - u.
with careful, persistent work, a prompt re-
setting Of trees to secure au even growth,
and regular aud wise applice.:.s 81 iertili-
zers that shall annually make the by-crops
between the trees, and leave surplus fertility
for thrifty development of the orchard.
The size oftrees and time of setting them,
have been materially modified since thirty
years ago, when we borrowed our ideas Of
peach growing from those more north of us
The concurrent experience of successful
orchardists, places the ''head" of the com
ing peach tree opposite that point on the
thigh of a man where a pocket knife held
firmly in his hand his arm held naturally
down, will sever the stock with a clean up
ward cut If this is the best point to head
a profitable tree, what folly to select such
large trees for planting as that the cut at this
point leaves no matured buds out of which
to form the head of the tree with its natural
whirl of branches. It is possible by proper
cultivation in the nursery to produce tree
with abundance Of roots that has not over
grown the desired heigth for this purpose,
and to this end growers are demanding that
nurserymen shall direct their efforts. Fall. |
set orchards, in all sections where frost-heav-
lug does not positively forbid, have deci-
ded advantage over those which are spring.
set. Not only does the ground become set
tied about the roots before the drougths of
the hrst growing season. but little rootIets of
from three to six inches in length will be
found on fall-set trees before any leaferowth
is perceptibie in the following spring This
root-growth is a decided start ia the race Of
tree-life
The proper distance for setting trees either
way in the orchard, depends upon the fertil-
ity Of the land; but generally the land that
is not calculated to lap the branches across a
twenty feet space, is not yet ready fora peach
orchard, and that land which will over-crowd
trees az this distance, needs corn g.owiag Oh