Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-05-25
How to get Good Fruit on the
Farm.
THE PEACH.

IHE PEACH.
The peach is a fruit that everybody
seems to like and one that seems 10 be
in great demand if produced to perfec-
ton. Many farmers send to the city
for their supply annually. have sold
more peaches TO neighbors than any
other kind of fruit, and yet with all
the demand we see very few farmers
raising peaches for their own use. We
hear many complain that they cannot
get trees to live long enough TO bear
more than one crop. They have bought
many trees and spent much money and
time and have failed Why? Is the
fault in the trees or in the men? Now
let us see what observation has taught
us in regard to this fruit / know far
mers who have bought many fine trees
from the nursery, have had them deliv-
cred in good shape, who have planted
those trees in a small lot already over
crowded with trees of other kinds and
they have never got those trees 70 pro
duce one good peach If any did live
long enough to bear the fruit was so in
ferior in quality that it did not taste
like peach. Again there is an orchard
that was set out some years ago, not far
from my place, that should be almost
in full bearing, and yet there is not two
trees in the whole orchard that is five
feet high, the height that | should desire
to have them commence branching ont,
but between the farm stock and the
team in farming the land those trees
have all been broken down until they
are nothing but mass of sprouts and
If they were mine | should certainly dig
them all out and put them TO the flames
and not occupy the land with them.
The peach is different from almost all
other kinds of fruit trees in its wood. it
is very open grained and makes very
fast growth, consequently IS more ten
der and should get Just the reverse
treatment in its growth from the apple
Whilst we should give the young apple
tree good land and high fertilization
until it comes to bearing age and then
| let up somewhat to allow it TO bear, we
should never try to force The peach tree
| have never known peach tree set out
in a rich garden or yard to produce
more than one or two crops and then
die
| have trees that have been producing
fruit for more than twenty years and
some of them appear as though they
might produce fruit for some years
more, and they stand on the poorest
lard on The farm. The peach tree
should be planted on high ground; the
top of a hill facing south Is best; they
should be planted by themselves and
not amongst other larger trees; they
should have ample room, say sixteen
feet from tree to tree; they should be
pruned about ) feet from the ground to
lower limbs and the lower limbs should
not be allowed to grow too long; cut the
end off so that the sun and air may get
to the crown, do not allow any limb that
is to be removed to grow too Large be-
ore cutting. | do my peach trimming
with my pen-knife and fingers, breaking
the young shoots as they sprout out,
unless some large limb shows signs of
decay, than | use the pruning saw.
After a peach tree blooms the first time
is the proper time to fertiliZe, this
should be done by using well rotted
barnyard manure mot strawy) well
spread over the ground and plowed in.
Plow very shallow and do not put the
manure close to the crown of the tree
but put il out where the feeding root
let's will get the benefit of it. CONNER
cial fertilizers if strong in potash is far
preferable to barnyari manure 1t tshould
be put on the latter part of FEBRUARY or
az soon after as possible so that the crop
may get the benefit Of it. Let me again
insist that there should never be any
sward allowed to form around the crown
Of any fruit tree and especially the peach
WIN. j. PACOE.
East View Fruit Farm, May 90 1899.