Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-25
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
BN DR.. ANDREW nj. SOULE

are good crops, when the crop Is
small, or entirely killed, the or
chards are neglected.
A peach orchard should be Iocat-
ed near a railroad. In important
peach sections, railroad companies
have run spur tracks to commercial
orchards, thus Facilitating the load
ing of fruit. Peaches, which are
to be sold IN crates on the open
market, cannot be hauled over rough
highways to the railroad.
In choosing a site for the setting
of an orchard, particular care
should be taken to see that there
is good air drainage, and consequent
Iy the setting or planting of low
spring fr6sts are greatly dreaded by
the fruit grower Since there is a
tendency in this state 70 rthe peach
to bloom a bit prior to the last
killing frost, trees set in low and
frosty places stand little chance OF
being profitable. In central and
south Georgia the slope of the land
need hardly be considered. In the
mountainous regions there seems to
be no great problem as to which
slope TO use. as there are orchards
doing well on all slopes. Where one
has a choice in mountainous and
billy sections it is probably best to
posture. as they thus stand bet
ter chance of escaping late frosts.
1t is almost impossible to make
any definite statement concerning
the best soil for the peach in this
state. Successful orchards are found
On the Orangeburg clays around Fort
Valley, as we'll as on the Cecil clays
soils of northeast Georgia seem to
be well adapted to the peach. The
red clays, with high iron content,
found around Cedartown in the
northwestern section, also produce
excellent fruit; and healthy, v1gor-
Gus, thriving peach trees are seen
growing in the sandy soils of the
southern section. Any soil that is
fairly fertile, is fairly good filth
and not too deep for proper t1llage,
can probably be made to produce
peaches successtully; a 4, W. wore vol %
against setting the peach on very
light sandy lands. This tree is very
susceptible to attacks of the newa-
tode worm, and these pests are more
prevalent and injurious in the nght-
er sandy soils
A great many peach orchards IN
Georgia have been set on ola, apan-
doned cotton farms and ~ may DC
said that any soil that Will prooucS
one-half bale of cotton per acre Will
grow good peach trees. great deal
of this planting has been done py
ploughing out the rows Where, tne
trees are to grow, and cross-cnecKlng
with a pillow to locate places for set
ting trees. 1t is better, where it
can be done, to pillow the !and as
deeply as possible and cultivate 1t
for a season before setting the trees.
1t is also a good plan to break the
land broadcast-as commonly ex-
the trees. Certain portions of the
land cannot be deeply plowed after
the trees are set. therefore. good'
deep blowing with at least a two
horse turner. followed by subso1ler
if possible, places the. land in the
best condition, for putting gooo
growth on trees. during their tlrs'
season. 4.,-'.,'
Peach orchards are laid out In
many ways in this state. Where
lands are level enough to do so,
common way, of laying out the or
chard is to pillow a back furrow with
a tWo-horse pillow along the row
where the trees sare to he. set. . From
center to center, these ridges Should
be twenty feet apart. Then a cross
furrow should be ~plowed,~ checking
the back-furroWs every twenty feet.
The trees should be set at the points
where the burrows intersect
some orChar is are laid out with a
surveyors instrument. This is the
most accurate method and give
better looking orchard. The use of
a. surveyors instrument is probably
the best where large areas are to
be set. If an orchard is to be plant
ed on a hillside; 2 terraces should be
made to prevent washing, since it
is not advisable to grow peaches in
sod. Terraces should be, laid out
on contours, with no more than three
or four feet fall between the ter
races. Trees should not be set on the
edge of the terraces but should be
SO placed that work may be facilitar-
ed about the tree. After the con-
tours are located, the terraces are
gradually built on them by using a.
hillside, ploW and turning the fIrrows
down the hill.
Trees should be purchased from re-
liable nursery then and the closer the
nursery to the orchard site, the bet
ter. One-year-old trees may be used,
but June buds" is to "a inches in
height. are cheaper and will give just