The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-08-03
WEEKLY DIGEST
Of Experiment Station Bulletins,
No 81.
SOME SPECIAL FRUIT BULLETINs.

| Vanla Is but 20 years old and Is mainly
confined to three districts, aggregating
II. 600 acres, or about two million trees.
The Juniata district contains $500
acres, of which 8. 900 acres are in Juni
alta county, the rest being in NJ fiji n,
Perry, and Snyder counties.
The South Mountain district lies al
most wholly within Franklin county
and contains 2, 500 acres. This belt ex
tends some forty miles into Mary land,
and will soon be ell planted in peaches,
ultimately containing 10000 acres.
The third belt is scattered over York,
Lancaster, Berks, Lshigh, Northamp
ton, Schuylkill, Monroe, Montgomery,
and Chester counties. Various other
counties are planting young peach
orchards experimentally.
Most of the commercial orchards en-
brace from 500 to 1000 trees, though
there is one orchard of 10000 trees in
Franklin county. 1t is noticed that
those who cultivate thoroughly, spray
systematically, and destroy diseased
trees promptly, report the business
profitable. Those who neglect their
orchards say there is no money in the
business. The failures of this class
preserve the markets for the wide
awake fellows. The average price for
first-class fruit is about 81 per crate,
netting SIS to 81 so per acre.
The greatest drawbscks to the peach
industry in Pennsylvania are winter
killing Of the fruit buds and blasting
of the blossoms by spring frosts. 1t
has been found that trees on hill and
mountain tops are less liable to these
disasters than those in valleys. Such
| injuries are more likely to occur after
dry summer or fall, and are less
likely to happen to trees that have
thoroughly mstured the previous sea
sons growth before winter sets in.
Chestnut soils-a slaty, sandy, grav
ely loam-are best for peaches, and
where such soils are found on noun
tain tops or slopes, they are planted to
peaches, even though they be to IL
miles from q railroad, though the
nearer one gets to a shipping point the
better.
The trees are generally planted q rod
apart each way, but on strC ng soils 90
feet would be better. OF late there is
much advocacy Of wider distance be-
tween rows and closer planting in the
row, always running the rows north
and south, and having no two trees of
the same variety stand next to each
other in the row, g mixture Of pollen
of different varieties making a healthier
fruit, just IS infusing new blood into a
flock or herd of animals making a more
robust offspring. All varieties in the
row ehould bloom at about the same
time. THIS is a good practice for all
fruits, and is considered especially
necessary with P;ums.
Trees should be gotten from the
nearest nursery that offers good healthy
trees of the desired varieties ct areRson
able price, and each tree should be
closely inspected through magnify
ing glass for evidences Of scale, borers,
black aphis, root gall, root knot, ETC.,
before 1t is planted.
Among the most profitable varieties
are the White Heaths, both free and
cling, Salway, Bilyeu's October, Levy's
Late, Mountain Rose, the Crawfords,
the Old Mixone, Stump, Reeves, Smock,
Globe and Elberta.
On soils already fertile, use nitrogen
sparingly, and in all cases apply it
early in the season, il at all, and use
potash and phosphoric acid Literally
every year. Always thin the fruit,
both by pruning away bud bearing tips
and afterwards by hand picking the
young fruit when the SIZE of an aver
age sized marble.
The greatest care and segacity are
required in gathering, sorting, packing,
and marketing peaches. The package
most generally use is the seven eighIs
bushel crate divided in the middla; but
those who have tried the Florida ten,
pound basket find that baey find most
ready sale. Many people will buy
when they can simply pay their money
for small package all ready to pick
UP ard carry nome, who would not buy
a larger quantity nor stop to have a
smaller quantity packed. These bas-
kets have no handles and pack six to
the crate.
The bulletin discusses the yellows,
root gall, brown rot, and other diseases
and the remedies therefor, as we'll as
] horars. curculio. and other insect enc