The Green Forest tribune., 1903-10-10
PAPER ON PEACH CULTURE.
Some Excellent Thoughts on the Subject of Raising Peaches.

The following excellent article on the subject of peach trees was read by J. E. Shelton before a recent meeting of the Highland Peach Growers Union and THE TRIBUNE deems it specially val uable to those of our people who are interested in the subject of peach raising:
 I have just finished reading a long article in the yearbook of 1900 by Prof. M. B. Waight on cultivation and fertilization of the peach orchard. It is most val- uable for those who have plenty of brains and money; it is a book of science and will be appreciated by those interested on large scale. This paper is designed more to benefit men of moderate means and talent. The method generally practiced now, especi- ally on large peach farms, is thorough culture of the soil all through the growing season and cut back the main branches every year. The members of this soci- ety are beginners in a new enter prise and what we want to know first is the shortest road to the door of success. In other words, what mode of culture will give the largest returns for the out lay? 1 advocate thorough cul- ture of the soil from the start until the trees set full crop of peaches, then run the cultivator over, leaving the surface level; then turn in sheep and pigs and keep them in altereately during the growing season as occasion requires. The peach, to reach the highest state of perfection, wants dry atmosphere and much light. The flocks should be in numbers sufficient to keep down such vegetation as they feed upon and the sickle should do the balance. There must be adjacent pasturage to turn the floeks in when need be. Now the advantage of his mode of culture: ltis less expensive than continual blowing. We get some profit by the increase of the flock; they save us the expense and labor of buying and distributing ferti- lizers; they do a large part of keeping the field clean of grass and weeds; they deyour all worthless fruit and convert it into fertilizing material instead of it's remaining on the ground to decay and soak into the soil and reproduce the brown rot. To get the finest peaches we must thin the crops but the peaches we take off should not remain and decay on the ground, and to gather them up and haul them off would require much work. By thin- ming over several times the sheep will consume them as fast as they fall. The sheep and pigs both have tendency to destroy and frighten away all obstructive insects.
 This method requires high pruning. To start the head or top of the trees, the lowest limbs should be full thirty inches above the ground; when the little trees get high enough pinch out the top leaving from three to five side limbs to form the head; let them grow long as they will and don't cut them back; prune only to keep the tree well balanced and cut out ingrowing limbs. When the fruit comes it will bring the limbs down forming the umbrella shape and making it handy to thin and gather and giving more exposure to the rays of the sun than any other form the tree can take on. Go over in early spring and prune out the small twigs and spurs on the main limbs and thin out the thick clusters to let in sunlight, but don't cut the main limbs back until they begin to show weakness; commence thin- hing when the peaches are little larger than quail eggs; go over the first time rapidly thinning only the thickest clusters, and go over several times taking more
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