The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-04-17
" SO STATES RAISE PEACHES
Peaches % Well on a Wide Range Of
~ Soil Types and Usually Prefer.
Considerably Elevated Sites.

Considerably Elevated Sites.
In at least SO OF our As United States
there are peach interests Of CONNER
caal Importance, according TO a new
Farmers Bulletin mo. 631) Of the q.
s. Department Of Agriculture on
~Growing Peaches" This bulletin is
the first Of three on the general sub
1ect of peach growing, which will treat
Of fundamental orchard operations.
The questions of site, propagation,
planting, tillage and soil fertility are
treated In the first bulletin now being
issued.
In locating a peach, as well as any
other orchard, other advantages must
be considered besides the natural ones
OF climate and soil. If an orchard is
too remot from shipping station, too
far away from a suitable market, or
located where ice for refrigerator cars
cannot be conveniently supplied, Il
may not be possible to grow peaches
there prohtably.
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, soil must be thoroughly well
drained to be suitable for peaches.
They will not succeed on poorly drain
ed soils. 1t follows that the heavy
clay types which are 30 hard and i'm
pervious tLat water does not percolate
through them readily are to be avoided
as q rule. Moreover. soil should be
moderately fertile. One very rich IN
nitrogen is not to be desired as
general rule, since it is likely to induce
an excessive growth of foliage. On
the other hand, the impression which
is somewhat common that a poor, UNI
fertile soil is good enough for
Reaohes'' is erroneous.
In districts in which alkan soils oc-
cur. sites should be selected with a
view to avoiding them. While the
peach tree can be grown there is
peach tree can be grown there is a
is limited amount of the alkan salts,
they cause disaster If present in large
quantities. 1t is safer, therefore, to
avoid them as far as possible.
As general proposition, site that
Is elevated considerably above the sur
rounding areas is to be preferred for
o peach orchard. Relative elevation Is
generally Of greater Importance than
actual elevation above sea level
Il Is q well-recognized fact, though
enc too often overlooked in selecting
sites for orchards, that cold air settles
to the lower levels. For this reason
&c Is often colder at the lower eleva-
tions than 1t is at higher points In the
same locality. This is what is meant
By atmospheric drainage" The oc-
curence OF frost in low places when
there is none on elevated areas is thus
explained. For the same reason peach
buds are often winter-killed or the
blossoms are injured by frost in the
spring In low places when nearby
orchards on higher elevations are in
cured much less, or even escape en-
sfyeiy.
Where an orchard occupies a site
that Is adjacent to large bod yof
water the importance Of a relatively
high elevation largely disappears. To
BE- factor In the matter. however,
body Of water must be OF suffiiient size
and depth to have an appresiable In
6nenne on the local climate. Because
the water warns up In the spring
more slowly than the atmosphere, it.
acts In effect az refrigerator, making
the temperature In its immediate vicin-
fly colder than 1t is at points some
what distant from it. For this reason
vegetation within the zone of this In
6uence advances more slowly In the
spring than it does outside Of that
some. The tendency is for the bios
soming 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 in a
similar manner. except that the large
body Of water, having absorbed much
heat during the summer. cools OF in
the fall more slowly than the atmos-
phera. and hence 1t tends to keep the
temperature within its zone of in
huence warmer than It would other
wise be.
It 10 because Of these reasons that
peaches are grown with marked sue
cess and injury 70 the crops by adverse
temperature conditions is compare
lively infreQuent in the portions of
New York and the Province Of Ontar'
10 that border Lake Ontario; In Ohio
along Lake Erie: In southwestern
Michigan on Lake Michigan, and in
SONS other districts which are ad-
jacent to large bodies Of water. AS
rule the zone Of influence Of bodies of
water. such as those named, is rather
marrow. usually not extending back
from the shore moro than q few miles.
The slope OF exposure Of site is
the noint of the COMPASS toward which
nH~