The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-08-19
PEACH CULTURE
IN MISSISSIPPI
important Feature Is Early Guilt
vation-H Highland CoIonyCo.
Gives Advice From Tests.
Rtdoeland. Miss. July ii, 1905.

ing peach trees in the spriRg of 1899
but not knowing what varieties were
best adapted to this climate and sec.
tion of the country, we planted sever.
al that proved worthless, for market
purposes. Consequently we have been
to considerable expense IN demOnStra.
ting just what varieties are most prof
liable in this locality.
We have found through nine years
experience that the Alberta is prob
ably the best peach we can grow here
for all purposes. Next to that we re-
commend the Carmen and Greensboro.
The Greensboro ripenS about June 4th
to 10th, the Carmen 18th to 25th and
the Alberta July 1st to 10th.
During all our years Of experience
we have never failed TO mature a
peach crop with one exception.
We are now cultivating under our
own management about l72 acres Of
these three varieties. We are this
year picking from about 20 acres and
sold the crop f. o. b. track here for
20 cents for four basket crate. These
crates hold about bushel and the net
profit is about ~ cents per crate. The
cultivation, picking, packing and cost
Of crate amounts to Is cents.
Most of our orchards are in FIVE to
hundred acres being cultivated in
peaches in this community. On ten
acre tract Of GreenbOrOS this year we
picked 760 crates. These trees were
two years old last March. The crop
sold for $4,000, netting. after deduct
ing all expenses, S3l9.20. We are
now shipping the Alberta and as the
season has just commenced, il is i'm
possible to give you exact figures on
any individual orchard We estimate
that ten acre tract in good condi-
tion. fairly we'll fruited will yield 5000
crates, at sixty cents, gross $500 90,
net profit to the orchard about S1260.
Most Of our orchards are just COM
ing into bearing and are lightly fruit
ed. The Greensboro orchard abO Se
referred TO is one OF the best. Our
company will probably ship about
20 000 crates. We are thoroughly
satisfied that there is no better peach
district than this. We have also
learned through experience that it is
important TO spray for both tree dis
eases and insects.
Another very important feature in
Ceach culture is early cultivation.
Just as soon as the sap begins to flow
In
work just as long as the fruit on the
tree will permit. After the fruit has
been gathered we do not cultivate eX-
cept to sew some cover crop.
Where cultivation has been given
the trees after the fruit has been
gathered, it starts Il new flow of sap
and weakenS the buds and very often
causes them to fall off during the win
ter and early spring. We do not find
any especial advantage in the slope Of
the land, but we always find that the
finest fruit grows on the highest
ground with a good clay Sub-soil and
good drainage. We get an enormous
tree growth on low ground but the
fruit does not color up on account Of
dense foliage. We fertilize the young
trees the first year with cotton seed
meal or blood bone. Prefer wood
ashes to any other kind of fertilizer
that can be had.
We are planting on an average
10, 900 trees per year, about 100 to
the acre. A great many of the or
chards have been rooted out on account
Of the unsatisfactory variety, and IN a
few instances, neglect has been the
means of the orchards being attacked
by insects, which caused their ruin.
We believe the peach culture in
this community will rapidly increase,
and unquestionably prove a perma-
nent success. We have demonStra-
ted that the life of the peach tree
can be perpetuated for a period OF
from II to Is years. Have a nine
year old orchard of Albertas that is
now bearing a good crop and the trees
are as healthy as any Of the young
orchard.
The lay of the land and character
of the soil in the Gluckstadt Colony
will warrant peach culture on large
scale and unquestionably our German
settlers will grow peaches with profit.
There is no objection to rich soil for
peach culture providing it is free from
rubbage and good clay sub-soil on
high ground and well drained.
Yours truly,
HIGLAND COLONY TO.
Peaches as rule, even in Michi-
gan, are not regarded as an absolutely
sure crop-some years all the condi-
tions seem favorable and the crop is
enormous. In Mississippi the condi-
tions are practically the same. The
above letter from the Highland Col
ony Company at Ridgeland, Missis-
sippi, will be read with interest by
homeseekers looking for a mild cli-
mate in which peaches, strawberries,
all kinds of vegetables may be grown
successfully and profitably.