The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-06
How to Grow Fine Peaches.


How to Grow Fine Peaches.
Last spring l wrote an article addressed
TO Southern peach growers, calling their
attention TO what / considered was our
opportunity, as the fruit crop was gone
for the year. we could put our trees in
shape for another year by trimming and
cutting out the dead and superduous wood.
whitewashing TO keep off the borers and
proper fertilizing. Since that article was
written 1 have received many Inquiries as
to my method Of growing peaches.
All of my Old trees have been cut back.
and have grown new crops. I have some Ell
berta trees cut back TWO years ago. that
have now as large and healthy tops as
when they were first grown (au new.
healthy wood. 1 have some that were cut
back this spring that have made a growth
of over five feet, they viii be shortened
in this fail, and next year they will have
grown an entire new head capable of
bearing fine crop of peaches. These
trees are Il years old and have borne
eleven crops, the most of them fun crops
The trunks and roots of these trees are
perfectly sound and free from borers.
There has been sold from a single tree
over SO worth of fine peaches in a sea-
son.
My method Is not to allow my trees to
overbear. When they mold a full crop, too
fun for the health of the trees they are
thinned out early in the season, leaving
the fruit about six inches apart These
trees receive a heavy application Of muri-
ate of potash and acid phosphate every
year, crop or no crop, and is generally
put on in the fan; cowpeas are planted
between the rows of trees. We generally
plant the unknown variety. The cow
peas furnish the nitrogen and humus to
the soil, as well as a growing mulch. Dur
ing the fruit season they keep the ground
cool and moist by their heavy foliage
which aids the maturing and ripening of
the fruit
During dry seasons I have noticed that
If il had not been for this growing mulch
there would have been a serious loss from
fallen immatured fruit. Nature furnishes
a mulch in the forests by fallen leaves
around the roots of trees, and under these
leaves there is always moisture and fer
ulity brought up by capillary attraction
and for the orchard trees there is no bet
ter mulch than the Southern cowpeas
planted between the rows. The planting
of orchards with crops that require long
cultivation. exposing the soil to sunlight
and heat without any regard to the mulch
or the baking propensites of the soil, in
my opinion is all wrong.
As to my method of trimming, I cut back
one-half of each years growth; the OBJ
iect is TO keep the head of the tree in
proper shape and to keep every year, as
much new growth Of wood as possible. Gull
tivation of orchards should cease by the
last Of June in the South. to let the new
wood ripen by fall.
II may not be amiss for me to again give
my method of fighting the borers. In he
fail I dig around my trees and expose the
roots thoroughly examine all Indications
of borers, and if any, dig them out with
a small wire, then in the spring l white
wash the tree from crotch to the roots
with a preparation of the following ingre-
dents; 10 every gallon of wash, add one
quart of soft soap, one pound of sulphur
one quart of crude carbolic acid with a
handful of salt. This l spread on thick.
especially at the roots. After the wash
gets dry draw the soil around the roots
leaving it cone-shape about one foot high.
This preparation seems to check the raw
ages of the borer as have trees that are
IA years old and over, that are as sound
as need be 10 grow and mature large crops
of fruit. which can not be done If the vi
tality of the tree is lessened by the destruc-
tible borer
I find in fruit growing that to contend
against insects and the fungous diseases.
we must follow the old rule, that an ounce
Of prevention is worth a pound of cure,
and in order to overcome these we must
take more pains with our orchards, and
fertilize heavy to have a healthy growth,
and to assist the tree and the vine 10
overcome the effects by strong growth.
Peach trees require a well drained, sandy
soil with clay sub-soil, and should be fer
tilted with potash and acid phosphate, or
ground bone, every year; in order to grow
| fine fruit, growers should bear in mind,
that the markets are always full of in
ferior fruit, but the markets in the lead
ing cities of The South and North have
never been over-supplied with extra fine
fancy fruit. WIN the market ever be sup
piled? We think not, for this reason, our
constantly growing population and better
facilities for transportation that we have
in this country of fruit-eating people, there
viii always be a demand for fine fruit that
can be grown now with the present acre
age in peaches or planted hereafter.
c.. w. Morrill,.