The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-02-15
Edited by F. Walden

one year we had none at all, and some
times a very scanty crop.
For commercial purposes no three
peaches will last through the season.
would not raise peaches to last
through the entire season. The early
peaches never pay. l thought they
would when I began the business in
Washington, but l found out my mis-
take when my peach trees began to
bear. Peaches, like the Alexander and
Amsden, never sell well. One reason
| is that they are not of much account;
they get soft and mushy in day or
two if they are ripe enough to pick,
and if they are not they never get
good. I would cut out everything
down to Hale's Early and I am not
sure | would raise that. Another
objection to raising the very early
peaches, and Hale's Early is that by
| the time these peaches come In, the
| fine yellow peaches are then COM
| ing into our market from California
and crowd out the inferior grades.
For commercial purposes | would,
therefore, begin with Foster, Cham
pion or Early Crawford. For the main
crop l would depend more on the Ell
berta than anything else. 1t is a big
fine yellow peach, is an enormous
bearer and holds up well after pick
ling. Last summer I picked nice
Elberta peach ready to ship and laid
lit up in my room in the house and
| just one week later we ate it and 1t
was in good condition. But few
peaches will hold up as well as that.
The liberia is not as high grade
peach as some others, but fortunately
know that the housewife looking for
peaches to put up often passes by
better peaches and says, "Pll take
some of those big yellow peaches over
there" alberta peaches look so we'll
that. like some very handsome people,
they pass for more than they are
worth. Then another good reason why
| the Elberta sells so well is that they
come in after the California peaches
are out of the way and have no COM
petition Many housewives wait for
peaches to get cheaper and about the
| time the big snowy Elbertas come in,
wake up to the fact that they must
hasten in putting up their peaches
and the demand becomes great The
lElberta is the money maker. 1t is an
enormous bearer. Last season we had
| 1000 four-year-old liberia trees in
bearing and many of them yielded
| 10 boxes to the tree and some more.
The Late Crawford is a big fine
lpeach, but gets ready to pick with the
alberta; it is not so handsome and
does not yield so we'll, the tree is
more erect and does not compare
| favorably with the great spreading
alberta. The Wonderful comes be-
tween the liberia and the Salway, is
a really good peach, but is somewhat
| ill-shaped and is not first-class as a
money getter. | had so trees in my
old peach orchard and have about that
many in my new orchard.
| The Salway Is fine peach, is first
class in quality, bears well and has
but one drawback-it comes too late.
In some localities it often gets bitten
with frost before it is ripe. In the
higher attitudes it should never be
raised. Another objection to this
magnificent peach is very singular
one. About the time the Elbertas
and Late Crawfords are gone the de.
mand for peaches drops off. The
mothers have put up all the peaches
! they want, the people are to some ex-
tent, at least, satiated on peaches, and
as result of these things I have
known fine Salways-a far better
peach than many others-to sell at
half what the Elbertas and Late
Crawfords sold for.
Sometimes there are marked excep-
lions to what I have just stated, and
very late peaches like Salway, Orange
Cling and Cox's Golden Cling sell very
high. But my observation is that you
cannot count on this condition as a
Irregular and dependable thing.
AS to whether I would prefer the
Delicious and King David to the SpitZ-
enburg where irrigation can not be
practiced, I wish to say that l am not
prepared to speak as to the merits
of the King David. have some trees