The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1907-01-17
PEACH CULTURE.
suRgestions For Its Renewal In New
jersey

suegestions For Its Renewal In New
Jersey.
According TO the United States cen
eu~ report. there We're in the United
Suites 53.SSG,OOO peach trees in 1880
and gg.9l9O0O in 1900. showing an in
crease of over 80 per cent During Ills
tine tire number In Ne8 Jersey de
CREASED from 44140oo til fs9a To LII
ON IN loo. loss of = per e.nt. Only
three states in the tuioa showed Il
deerease-New Jersey. Delaware and
Maryland Every other stale increased
lis peach orchards, In lsap these three
states had - per cent Of all the peach
trees in the United States In 1900
they had only 8 per cent. There has,
in fact. been a panic among The grow
ers
The immediate cause OF this condi-
ton has been the San Jose scale. But
this las not been the only trouble, AS
is usunl when any serious enemy
threatens crop, all troubles are charg-
ed TO this pest. Damages from starva-
ton. lack of tllage, boress, leaf curl
and brown rot are very frequently all
punched and charged 10 the account of
the scale
The New Jersey station has Just is
sued some suggestions based upon its
experimental work on the renewal of
the industry in that state In the hope
that ii may be of some help to the
large number of New Jersey fruit grow
ers who have the courage 10 raise
peaches in spite of present difficulties.
summary of Experiments.
In ten years growth peach tree
used plant food at the following rate
per acre Nitrogen. 5l6 pounds phos-
phoric acid, 1873 pounds potash, 300
pounds: lime. 424 pounds.
The average of the last six years
was Nitrogen. Ga pounds; phosphoric
acid. IL pounds; potash, 40 pounds
In an orchard at the experiment sta
ton the scale seemed to be practically
externinatcd by thorough spraying,
but when left unsprayed in 200 there
was scale enough to Kill some trees by
fall. The only safe practice with peach
trees in New Jersey IS to spray every
year
From $40 natural pits" planted last
spring 10S trees We're produced. From
321 pits Of budded trees only seven
trees were grown.
Keeping the roots of Il peach tree in
II dollhouse and the tops out of doors
for over Il month in midwnter had no
harmful effect on the buds or top.
When the top was moved in ii bios
somed in two weeks,
Measurement of the twigs of the
weeks in 1906 showed that half the
twig growth was completed by the
middle of May and four-tfths by the
middle of June.
In the spring Of 1906 an experimental
orchard of l.032 trees was planted on
the farm of Ex-Governor Voorhees, at
High Bridge, ~ j., for the study Of
problems connected with peach grow
ing
OF the 1,O06 fall budded yearling
trees only five failed to grow OF sew
enteen June budded trees six died.
Trees whose roots were dipped In
water before planting made the best
growth. Those exposed in the sun an
hour or more before planting made the
poorest growth.
Trees pruned to whips at the time of
planting, those on which one inch stubs
We're left and those with three inch
stubs all did about equally we'll They
grew better and were larger by fall
than those on which two-thrds of the
top was left.
Dipping the tops or tops and roots
In either single or double strength so
lutlons of lime, salt aud sulphur seem
ed to have no i'll effects, except TO in
jure buds that were opening. All made
about equal growth during the sum
mer