The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-02-04

a augustine OF MISSISSIPPI writes
as follows on this interesting subject:
Ihere is no one secret to success In
peach growing, but rather it is the appli-
cation of common sense and hard work
ANY one of a dozen or more details of
the work if neglected throws the whole
machine out of gear
The first item and one of the most I'M
portant in modern peach culture, is to
secure the right kind of a tree for plant
ing, and to do this you must commence
with the planting of the seed on which
10 bud the tree. There was not many
years ago a prevalent belief that the lit
tie natural seed from the mountainous
districts OF Tennessee and the Carolinas
was the only kind of seed to plant for
stocks, and it is still considered so by
many, especially nurserymen. However,
among the more advanced peach-growers
seeds that come from the best CONNER
cial orchards of strong, healthy growing
sorts are preferred. AS far north as
Illinois a 1-year-old tree would undoubt-
eddy give the best results, especially if
planted in the fall as l believe is gener-
ally practiced in the southern part of the
state. Wherever the winter is not too Sc
we're, or if the tree could be planted in
the spring / would much prefer a good
thrifty June bud about two feet in hight
transplanted the quicker it will recover
from transplanting and the healthier will
be the tree, besides the work of transplant
ing will be facilitated and the loss will
be much less.
Now as to the propagation, I firmly be-
lieve the time NOT far distant when Sc
I lection in propagation of trees and plants
| will be followed carefully and scien-
tificaHy as the selection in breeding of
and Ia &c 70 do &c
tainly just as much reason in the one
as the other. Buy such selected trees if
you can; if you are not able to, select the
trees yourself you wish propagated from
and get a nurseryman to grow them for
you. If he will not do this, grow them
yourself. And 1 might say right here that
L do not think any horticulturist that has
not thoroughly mastered the simpler
methods of propagation has learned all
that he ought to. 1t is too simple and
too necessary to be neglected.
Transplanting is a very important
point and the essence of it lies in not let
ting the roots be exposed to the air
moment longer than is absolutely neces-
sary. In transplanting commercially a
small tree can be severely trimmed both
roots and top, and thereby the planting
can be done much more rapidly and cheap
ly Where the trees have been properly
grown and are well handled in trans
planting, loss of per cent in an ordi-
nary year is large. Laying off the land
on a large scale is often a serious prob
lem. The most economical and rapid
method l have ever used is to take a
small single shovel pillow, or bull tongue
as it is called in the South, and check
row your field the distance apart YOU
want your trees. If your trees are small
and your roots prune severely which
believe in most thoroughly, a medium
weight tree spade used as a dibble is
the best method, and it is very rapid
With twelve negroes l have planted 4.50O
trees a day in this manner. One goes
ahead making the holes, while another
follows carrying the trees and putting one
in each hole and pressing the dirt around
the roots very firmly. The distance apart
to plant is still a debated question among
the best growers, ranging from IA to Is
feet. l believe, however close planting
is gaining favor, 1t requires more atten-
ton to pruning, better cultivation and the
application of more potash and phos-
pilates.
Now as to cultivation, the most gener-
ally neglected and yet most important
feature of orcharding. / have vet to see
a horticulturist who is good cuitiva or
fail to make a success of his work Nor
have ever seen one who is q poor culti-
vator make a success Cultivation seems
to be one of the hardest lessons a horti-
culturist has to learn. When he has mas
tered that you can depend upon it he
has learned enough in other lines 10 make
things go. There never comes a time
when peach orchard should be seeded
down to grass or eft a year without cul-
tivation. In favorab BILE climate | do not
believe forty or fifty years is too long to
expect a peach orchard to five and he
profitable II it is fed enough and the Land
kept in condition that the roots can eat
Start your plows as early in the spring as
you can get onto the land, turn the land
over once about 21s inches deep; inside of
a week follow this with a cutaway disk
harrow and continue at least every two
weeks throughout the season, and every
week is still better. using a weeder or
any kind of harrow that does not 20 deep-
err than two or two and one-half inches
For my own work / have found no imp,e-
ment to compare with the cutaway har-
row for utility. II will pay for itself in
one season II you have no more than one
acre to cultivate. l believe 1t is the most
valuable tool in modern orchard work.
Keep a dust mulch over the orchard all
summer and about the first of Septem-
Der start Il cover crop to keep the soil
from teaching. In many soils there is
some native grass or weed that Will an
swer very well. Turning this under in the
spring of course helps 20 keep the soil
mellow, and now you must use lots OF
potash and phosphoric acid. Two hun
dred pounds OF each per acre annually IS
not too much; that is, In an ordinary soil
II is an easy matter to learn how much is
profitable. Set aside a small portion OF
your orchard for test plots, applying diff
ferent amounts and let experience teach
you. Much better have too much than too
little. as II does not leach out Of the soil
but remains TIL the plant life has used
H. .
AS to thinning fruit, suppose It Is