The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1915-02-02
STATES
COMMERCIALLY INTER
EsTED IN PEACHrs
Peaches Do Wen On a Wide Range of
Soil Types and Usually Prefer a
Site Considerably Elevated Above
Surrounding Country.

Washington, Feb. Pin at least 30
of our 48 United States there are
peach interests of commercial inn
portance, according to new Farm
ers' Bulletin mo. 631) of the u. S.
Department. of Agriculture ON "Grow-
ing Peaches This bulletin is the
first of three on the general subject
Of peach growing, which will treat
of fundamental orchard operations.
The questions of site, propagation
planting, tiIlage, and soil fertility are
treated in the first bulletin now being
issued.
In locating a peach, as we'll as any
other orchard, other advantages must
be considered besides the natural
ones of climate and soil. IF an or
chard is too remote from a shipping
station too far away from a suita-
BILE market, or located where ice for
refrigerator cars cannot be conven-
iently7 supplied, it may not be posi-
BILE to grow peaches there prohtab-
".
Peaches may do well on a. wide
range of soil types including even
some of the moderately heavy clay
loans and clays. But whatever the
type, a soil must be thoroughly we'll
drained to be suitable for peaches.
They will not succeed on poorly drain
ed soils. It follows that the heavy
clay types which are so hard and
innpervio1s that water does not per-
colate through them readily are to
be avoided as a. rule. Moreover.
soil should be moderately fertile.
One very rich in nitrogen is not to
be desired as a general rule, since it
is likely to induce an excessive growth
Of foliage. On the other hand, the
impression which is Somewhat COM
mon that a poor, unferti1e soil is
good enough for peaches is enron
eous
In districts. i'm which allzah soils
occur. sites should be selected with
a view to avoiding them. While
the peach tree can be grown where
there is a limited amount OF the alka1i
salts they cause disaster If present
in large quantities. It is safer,
therefore to avoid them as far as
possible.
AS a general proposition, a site that
is elevated considerably above the
surrounding areas is to be preferred
for a peach orchard. Relative eleva-
ton is generally of greater Importance
than actual elevation above sea level.
1t is well-recognized fact,
though one too often overlooked in
selecting sites for orchards, that cold
air settles to the lower levels For
this reason it is often colder at the
lower elevations than it Is at higher
points in the same locality. This
Is ~ 11S1l Is A1Sd0t ny atmospheric
drainage The occurrence of frost
in low places when there is none
on elevated areas is thus explained.
For the same reason peach buds are
often WinterkiIIed or the blossoms are
injured by frost in the spring in low
places when bear3by orchards on
higher elevations are injured much
| less, or even escape entirely.
Where an orchard occupies a site
that is adjacent to large body of
water, the Importance of a relatively
high elevation largely disappears. To
BE a factor in the matter. however,
a, body of water must be of sufficient
size and depth to have an apprecia.bIe
influence on the local climate. Be
cause the water warns up in the
spring more slowly than the atmos-
phere. it acts in effect as a. refriger-
ator, making the temperature in its
hmm edia,te vicinity colder than 1t is
at points somewhat distant from it.
For this reason. vegetation within
the zone OF this influence advances
more slowly in the spring than it
does outside of that zone. The ten