The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-12
How to Grow Fine Peaches.

How to Grow Fine Peaches.
Last spring I wrote an article addressed
to Southern peach growers, calling
their attention 10 what consld-
cred was our opport unily, 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 superfiuous wood. white
washing to keep off the borers and proper
ferthizing. Since that article was writ
ten have received many inquiries as to
my method of growing peaches, says c.
W. Morrill, in Southern Culdvator.
An OF my Old trees have been cut back,
and have grown new tops. l have some
Elberta trees cut back two years ago,
that have now as large and healthy tops
as when they were first grown (al new,
healthy wood. / have some that were
cut back this spring that have made a
growth of over five feet, they via be
shortened in this faD and next year they
VIII have grown an entire new head, cap
aDle of bearing a fine crop of peaches,
These trees are fourteen years old and
have borne eleven crops and most Of
them full crops. The trunks and roots
of these trees are perfectly sound and
free from borers There has been sod
from a single tree over so worth of fine
peaches in a season.
Ny method IS not to allow my trees to
overbear. When they hold a full crop.
too full for the health of the trees, they
are trimmed out early in the season, leav-
ing the fruit about six inches apart. These
trees receive a heavy application of mu-
rate of potash and acid phosphate every
year crop or no crop, and is generally
put on in the fail; COW peas are planted
between the rows of trees. We generally
plant the unknown variety The cow peas
furnish the nitrogen and humus of the soil
as well as a growing mulch. During the
fruiting season they keep the ground cool
and moist by their heavy foliage, which
aids the maturing and ripening of the
fruit.
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 of fallen leaves
around the roots of trees, and under these
leaves there is always moisture and fer
tility brought up by capillary attraction,
and for the orchard trees there Is no bet
ter mulch than the Southern COW peas
planted between the rows. The planting
of orchards with crops that require long
cultivation, exposing the soil to sunlight
and heat, without any regard of the mulch
or to the baking propensitles of the soil,
in my opinion. is all WIRING.
AS to my method of trimming I cut
back one-half of each years growth.
The object is 10 keep the head of the tree
in proper shade and keep every year as
much new growth of wood as possible.
Cultivation of orchards should cease by
the last Of June in the South to let the
new wood ripen by fall
1t may not be amiss for me to again
give my method of fighting the borers. In
the fall dig around my trees and expose
the roots thoroughly; examine all indca-
tons of the boreTs, and if any dig them
out with small wire. then in the spring l
whitewash the tree from the crotch to
the roots with a preparation of the follow
ing ingredients: To every five gallons of
wash add one quart of soft soap one
pound of sulphur, one quart of crude car
bolic 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 10 check the Tavages of the borer.
as have trees that are fourteen years old
and over that are as sound as need be t.
grow and mature large crops Of fruit,
which cannot be done if the vitality OF
the tree is lesesned by the destructible
borer.
| 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,
take more pains with our orchards and
fer,iliZe heavily to have a healthy growth
and to assist the tree and the vine to
overcome the effects by strong growth.
Peach trees require well drained sandy
soil. with clay subsoil. and should be fer
tilted with potash and acid phosphate or
ground bone, every year, in order to grow
fine fruit. Growers should bear the fact in
mind that the markets are always full of
Inferior fruit, but the markets in the lead
ing cities of the South or North have new
er been over supplied with extra fine fancy
fruit. VIII the market ever be supplied?
We think not, for this reason, that with
our constantly growing population and the
better facilities of transportation that we
have in this country of fruit eating people
there will always be demand for fine
fruit that can not be grown with the pres.
ent acreage in peaches or planted here
after-C. w. Morrill, in Southern Cultiva-
tor.