New-York tribune., 1901-11-24
PEACE GROWING N NEBRASKA

The successful growing of the peach LOT either
family or commercial purposes in NEBRASKA mas
+ been hampered by the planting OF Vafieliee sun
ed the mild climate of California or oettef
! suited to the Southern States than 10 our own
peculiar and very trying climate In the pds'
I twenty years there has been very great au
vance in all of the processes of agriculture New
varieties of vegetables, grains and grasses nave
been developed. each better suited to its proper
use and our climate than many of the varieties
/ in long ago. The hoTucuiturists lihe"0
have not been idle. Our experiment stations III
the hands Of skillful men. by hybr1olzlng nave
developed many new varieties of fruit linen
effort has been to develop varieties WHICH shui0
have vigor and hardihood to Withstand the uS
ing climate, and such quality as to make 'ie
fruit desira BILE. Added to the work OF those VINO
have been laboring, guided by sclenthc stuus'
are the thousands Of chance accidental seedlings
which are being produced, and Of Whlch pos
sibly one in a thousand may have considerapie
and even superior merit In this way a new race
of peaches has been developed. Varieties ntleu
TO endure our trying winters and at the same
time having such quality would make theili
commercially attractive have been developer
Twenty years ago Mr. ]. NJ. Russell planted a
commercial peach orchard at Wymore. fol'y
five varieties of trees were selected for thls Or
chard of the most highly recommended softS
grown in New-Jersey and Delaware During the
first ten wears Mr. Russell often disap-
pointed. Most of the varieties were not haiuS
enough to withstand without injury our severest
winters As successive blocks of peach orchard
We're planted effort was made to eliminate Tie
weaker varieties and plant only such as prom
ised a harder and safer list. Mr. Russell thought
it safe to plant a new orchard nearer to"h
This should be free from the weaker ana less
desirable varieties Of the older orchard On
breezy hilltop three and half miles from Town
forty acres planted seven years ago EN-
perience had shown that there were some cen
mite advantages in planting a commercial peach
orchard on the highest obtainable ground Inc
thermometer does not run as low during the
cold nights of winter on the highest hilltops as
in the valleys and trees bloom later in the spring
on breezy heights than in sheltered locations
Elevated locations less likely TO suffer from
late spring freezes than the lower valleys. III
the planting of this forty acre orchard less tlar
one-fourth the number of varieties We're used
than in the older orchard. This orchard has
proved to be commercially very profitable FIVE
years ago the ]. NJ. Russell Company began
planting the Lincoln peach orchard of 150 acres
Desiring to crowd the trees to the most rapid
growth that they might quickly come into
bearing cultivation during the peculiar season
of 1895 was kept up until September-too late
for safety The warm, wet fall Of 1898 and
the very severe winter Of 1S9S-S9 destroyed
more than twelve thousand trees In selecting
varieties for this orchard experience gained
in the preceding fifteen years led to the ellmina-
ton of all the weaker varieties and the planting
OF those of known hardihood and value SIX or
seven varieties comprised four-ffths Of this or
chard. The remaining fifth includes varieties
kept for variety's sake Among the varieties
now planted Alexander, valuable as one OF
the earliest: Early Rivers, fair sized, but sort.
suited to near market; Hale's Eariy Irlumph.
Russel, Wymore, Champion. Crosby, Eiberta
and Wright. Where abundance Of moisture
can be secured and late season is assured MI
Russell thinks favoraby Of the Salway- The
Wright has shown peculiar and superior har0l-
ness by being the only that endured with
little injury the very trying winter of 1S9S-'99.
The ]. NJ Russell Company has in its COM
mercial peach orchards 2S 700 trees; in the Lin
coin orchard, 1880 trees. planted from two to
four years, the older making the fifth summers
growth; in the forty acre orchard near Wymore.
5000 trees. eight years planted; remnants In
the oldest orchard, down on the old farm. 500
trees A large proportion Of the trees in the
Lincoln orchard have been planted only two or
three years and only just beginning to bear.
The largest number picked from any one tree
in this orchard was from a tree making its
fifth summers growth which yielded nine bas-
kets, worth at wholesale about So DO Trees
making the third seasons growth are showing
q few specimens of choice fruit The Lincoln
orchard, although young, will more than Day
expenses this season, and promises in the near
future to pay very handsome profit The out
put from all the orchards is estimated for this
season at 400eo baskets, selling at retail at
from 40 to so cents basket. The baskets run
from five to six to the bushe
Mr.. ]. NJ Russell, though sixty-nine years
old, is yet active in the supervision of his share
of the work, feeling that activity in suitable
work is conducive to long life and usefulness.
Having had fifty years observation of peach
growing in the West, he states that he has
known only one year in all that period when
peach trees had been totally destroyed by win
ter. Mr. Russell regards commercial peach
growing in Nebraska such sure
foundation to be safer and profitable
than the growing of any other fruit. With suit
able care the trees may commence bearing at
the age Of three years. and will be in full bear
ing at the age of seven eight years Looking
back over their experience in recent years, they
have grown peaches eight years out of ten. The
Nebraska market for many years to come is
HkeIy TO absorb large amount of this choice
fruit at fair prices. The time will come when
our Nebraska orchardsts will endeavor to con-
serve the needed moisture by superior methods
OF culture, and they will realize the value of
thinning overladen trees when they find, as Mr.
Morrill, found, that 1850 to ] 800 peaches on a
well grown tree actually measure more bushels
than the same tree would yield if allowed to
carry three times many peaches. And the
larger and better fruit not only measures more
bushels, but brings much higher price.-(E F
Stephens, Crete, Neb