The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1915-03-06
THiRTY-NINE STATES
COMMERCIALLY
Interested in Peaches.

there are peach interests Of com
merclal Importance, according tC
new Farmers's Bulletin (No 63I
of the department on "Growing
Peaches" This bulletin is the
J first of three Oh tie general sub
ject Of peach growing, which viii
treat of fundamental orchard op.
eratiOns. The questions of site
propagation, planting, tillage, and
soil fertility are treated in the
first bulletin now being issued.
Ia locating peach as well as
any other orchard other advan
tages must be considered besides
the natural ones or climate and
soil Ii All orchard is too remote
from a shipping station, too far
away from a suitable market, or
located where ice for refrigerator
cars cannot be conveniently sup
piled. it may not be possible to
grow peaches there profitably.
Peaches may do we'll on wide
range of soil types, including
even some of the moderately
heavy clay loans and c.ays. But
whatever the type, soil must be
thoroughly well drained 10 be
suitable for peaches. They viii!
not succeed on poorly drained
soils. 1t follows that the heavy
clay types which are so hard and
impervfOus that water does not
percola.e Though them readily
are to be avOlded as "a rule
Moreover, soil should be moder
atty fertile. One very rich in dI
trogen is not to be desired as IA
general rule, since 1t Is likely to
induce an excessive growth Of fol
iage. On the other hand, the i'm
preston which is some what com
mon that a poor, Infertile soil is
''gOod enough for peaches" is er
rOneOuS.
In districts in which alkah
soils occur, sites should be select.
ed with view to avoiding them
While the peach tree can be
grown where there is a limited
amount of the akaIi salts, they
cause disaster If present in large
quantities. It is safer, therefore.
to avoid them as far as slble.
AS general proposition, site
that is elevated considerably
above the surrounding area is to
be preferred for a peach orchard
Relative elevation is genel ally of
greater Importance tlan actual
elevation above sea level.
1t Is we'll recognized fact.
though too often overlooked IN
selecting sites for orchards, thai
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 local
ity. This is what is meant by
atmospheric drainage" The oc
currence of frost in low places
when there is none on elevated |
areas is thus explained. For the
same reason peach buds are often
winterkilIed or the blossoms are
injured by frost in the spring in |
low places when nearby orchards
on higher elevations are Injured |
much less, or even escape entirely |
Where an orchard occupies a
site that is adjacent to a large.
body of water, the Importance of |
a relatively high elevation largely
disappears. 10 be a factor in the
however, body Of water
must be of sufficient slze and
depth to have an appreciable in
fluence on the local climate. Be-
cause the water warns up in the
spring more slowly than the at
it acts in effect as
making the tempera-
ture IN its immediate vicinity
colder than it Is at points soDle
what distant from it. For this
reason, vegetation within the zone
IF this Influence advances more
slowly in the spring than it does
outside of that zone The ten
1ency is for the biossomiDg of
peach trees situated within the
zone to be delayed until after the
season Of spring frosts Is past.
In the fall frosts are delayed il
! similar manner, except that the
arge body Of water, having alb
lorbed much heat during the sum
ner, c0Ols off in tire fall more
'lowly than the atmosphere, and
renee it tends to keep the temper
Iture within it's zone of Influence
warmer than it would other
wise be. Il
1t is because Of these reasons
hat peaches are grown with
marked success and injury to the
rops by adverse temperature con-
|ltions in comparatively infre.
|uent in the portions of New 1.
FORK and the Province of Onta
10 that border Lake Ontario; in
)hio along Lake Erie; in south
7estern Michigan on Lake Michi
an; and in some other districts
1h'ch are adj jacent 10 large bodies