ing and the losses are growing alarmingly greater. The increasing devastation of insect pests to both fruit and tree are confirmed by the statistical reports from learned entomologists, horticulturists, and other authorities, and it has been proven that unless proper remedies and appliances are used at the proper time disastrous results will follow. To inform the horticulturists as to what are the proper remedies and appliances is a part, at least, of the duties of the State Board of Horticulture.

The result, after years of careful study, research, and experimenting, has been that spraying is a great success, both in destroying and preventing the ravages of insects and fungoid diseases. It is not sufficient, however, that the fruit-grower have a bulletin placed in his hand, with the necessary formula of what to use for the destruction of each family of insects, or blight fungus, but it is equally essential that he have a perfect apparatus with which to apply these remedies; for I am convinced after five years' work in this direction that the improper application of the remedies is the direct cause of nearly if not all of the failures reported, and which are usually thrown back at the Board with the assertion “that it don't pay to spray, because it don't do any good." A first-class pump, scientifically constructed, durable, easy to handle and operate, and economical in its use of the solution used, with a spray nozzle that will evenly distribute the liquids, not depositing a thick coating at one point and leaving the fruit or tree wholly exposed at another, are as essential as is the material to be used. Such there are in the market, and the first investment that a fruit-grower should make, after his orchard is planted, should be to possess himself of one of these; for the verdict is, in the "New Era in FruitGrowing," that spraying at the right time, with the proper materials and in the proper manner, is the secret of success. The crowning glory of the early history of Oregon was the wonderful fruit that she produced. "The Big Red Apples" of Oregon made her famous in horticulture, and it belongs to her present residents to bring back to her the glory that formerly perched upon her banner, and upon the State Horticulture Society will devolve a large proportion of the work necessary to this result.

May it be the ambition of every member to do all possible things that shall aid in accomplishing this object so much desired.

PEACH-GROWING IN OREGON.

By A. H. CARSON, of Grants Pass. Read at the January Meeting, 1892.

The principal peach belt of Oregon is confined to Jackson and Josephine counties, although there are a few localities throughout the entire State where peaches can be grown, and successfully, too, where the proper knowledge as to soil and varieties are understood and taken into consideration. With a good soil and the natural adaptability possessed by Southern Oregon for growing peaches, I find a great many unsuccessful peach-growers in that part of the State, and no doubt there are unsuccessful ones in other parts of the State with good locations. As I claim to have had success in peachgrowing on the hill lands of Southern Oregon, I will attempt under the subject of this paper to give my method, in all of its details, as to the gathering and marketing of the crop.

I hold that the growing of choice, first-class peaches is a matter within the control of the grower. Hence his knowledge in the matter should extend to proper soil and location, how to prepare the soil, and plant his orchard varieties. To plant, care and cultivate, prune, gather and market the crop so as to get the best possible returns for his labor and capital invested, would all come under the head of "practical peach-growing." The question of soil is a material factor in the growth and success of the peach, and the following requisites should exist before planting an orchard of peach trees:First-Rolling hill land, that is, from 200 to 300 feet higher than the valley adjacent, with a depth of soil not less than eighteen inches, the greater the depth the better; thorough drainage—if not naturally drained should be drained by tiling. A soil that will produce a reasonable crop of corn in Southern Oregon, by good cultivation will grow good peaches. The object in choosing hill land for a peach orchard is, the altitude being greater than the valley, late spring frosts are not so liable to injure the crop as if planted on lower land. Then, such lands are usually naturally drained. The granite and red hill lands of Jackson and Josephine counties, where the depth of soil is sufficient, have proved by thorough cultivation fine peach lands. They are warm and generally of a loamy texture, and usually naturally drained.

The proper preparing of the soil for planting a peach orchard is another of the factors that contributes largely to the success of the peach-grower, and is one of the details that should have care and

attention. Many a failure in peach-growing in Southern Oregon can be traced to the neglect of the grower in not properly preparing the land for planting. I speak advisedly when I say I have tried various ways, and I have found but one way that is practical and warrants certain success in planting, and that is a thorough plowing of the soil to the depth of eighteen inches. Especially should this depth be had on all hill lands. This depth in plowing can only be obtained by using the subsoil plow after the turning plow. By breaking up the subsoil to the depth mentioned, you enable the soil to absorb more moisture during the dry season, by the circulation of the air through the soil to a greater depth, and you facilitate its drainage during the wet period, carrying the water through the soil in place of washing over the surface, thereby affording the soil an opportunity to absorb the gases that are in the water and store them up for the use and benefit of the young peach tree.

CARE IN PLANTING.

The soil being properly prepared, nothing will be lost to the grower by using care in planting. I have planted peach trees one rod apart, 160 trees to the acre, but I find there is nothing lost in planting a greater distance apart, eighteen feet each way; 137 trees to the acre I find gives the best results. This distance apart facilitates cultivation, and does not overburden the soil. I use one-yearold trees for planting-trees that are not too large, and am always certain that they have not been grown by irrigation, or on very high, moist soil. Such trees you will always find hardy and thoroughly ripe, and they stand the shock of transplanting better than larger and overgrown trees. With a sharp knife smooth off all parts of bruised roots, as a smooth cut will heal and callous more readily than a bruised one; dig the hole to receive the tree only large enough to hold the roots in their natural position; plant the same depth the tree stood in the nursery, working the fine surface soil carefully around the roots with the hands, tamping the same as firmly as possible, using care not to injure or bruise the roots. At the time of planting, I cut the trees back to twelve inches, so as to stock them at that height. I find in our section, that low-stocked trees are much healthier and thriftier than highstocked ones; as the foliage shades the trunk of the tree, you avoid sun-scald and its sequel, gum, and a diseased bark, together with the inroads of the borer, and a possible loss of the tree.

In regard to varieties. This is a very important question to the planter to warrant success. There are a great many varieties of peaches in some localities, that succeed and do well, that are choice peaches. But all varieties should not be planted in Oregon. The

climatic peculiarities of extremes of heat and cold during every twenty-four hours of our spring months should be considered, and none but the hardiest, the iron-clad varieties should be planted— those varieties that are not affected by curl-leaf and mildew.

I have invariably had success with the Early Alexander, Brigg's Red May, Hale's Early, Early Crawford, Wheatland, Muir, Smock, and Salway. These varieties are not affected with the curl-leaf or the mildew to any great extent; while with the Late Crawford, Heath, Stump, Large Early York, Old Mixon Free, Ward's Late, and Chine's Cling I have lost the greater part of the crop each year from curl-leaf. Then it follows that we should only plant such varieties as are not affected by curl-leaf and mildew. Usually all varieties of peaches where the glands on the leaf are pronounced and well developed are hardier than those varieties that are without glands. When all the details of peach-growing are not attended to at their proper time, and careful, painstaking cultivation is neglected, failure is sure to follow.

I have seen so many failures for want of proper cultivation on our dry lands in Southern Oregon, that I am of the opinion many have but a vague idea of what proper cultivation consists of. Some wonder at their failure and attribute the cause to the soil or climate. You ask them about cultivation.

"Why, I plowed that orchard last spring; ain't that cultivation?" Not by any means, I answer. Spring plowing is only preparing the ground for cultivation. The soil during the winter months absorbs a large amount of moisture. This moisture is vital to the success of the growing crop and should be retained in the soil for its use. When the rains in the spring cease, this moisture begins at once to be drawn from the soil by capillary attraction. To retain this moisture and reduce capillary attraction to the minimum should be the object of the intelligent horticulturist. This can only be done by careful cultivation. The soil should not be stirred too deep-three or four inches is deep enough—but it should be stirred often, at least once every ten days. Clods, if any, should be broken up.

Under a hot sun, capillary tubes soon form and the moisture is rapidly pumped from the soil by the action of the sun's rays. The harrow or cultivator run through the orchard often, cuts off and closes up these capillary tubes and evaporation from the soil ceases to a great extent. Then, by keeping the surface of the soil loose so that the air can circulate through it, the soil gets the benefit of the moisture precipitated by dews during our cool nights. It will be found by the orchardist that the cheapest and only practical mulch he can give a large orchard is thorough cultivation.

PRUNING OF THE TREES.

We now come to the pruning of the peach. This is one of the questions that I have found the majority of peach-growers of Southern Oregon do not comprehend. I have often asked my neighbors during the pruning season why they prune their peach orchards, and usually their answer is because they see some one else pruning. Now, if the reason for pruning the peach is correctly understood, the vexed problem of how and why we prune a peach tree is easily solved.

The characteristics of the peach should be understood by all intelligent growers, to wit: That the annual growth of wood each year bears the fruit buds for the subsequent year's fruitage; that without an annual growth there can be no fruit the following year; that is one of the characteristic habits of the peach, to form more fruit buds than wood buds; that the terminal buds of a peach tree (or any other variety of tree) will quicken and grow faster during the season than axillary buds.

These facts being known, take an unpruned peach tree and note its growth each year. It will be found that each succeeding year the fruit is getting higher and higher on the tree; that the greater growth always is at or near the terminal buds; that each year's growth bears the fruit, while the intervening space back of each year's growth becomes bare of foliage, the wood buds perish and you have an unsightly tree, filled in with dead and dying branches that are consuming the remaining vitality of the tree, until it is only a question of eight or ten years when your peach tree is dead. To make the matter better understood, let me call your attention to a twig of a peach tree of the present year's growth. Let us examine it. You will find at the base of the twig several small, weak wood buds. At the terminal point of the twig you will find a prominent, strong wood bud with one or two axillary wood buds next to it. The intervening spaces of the twig you will find are nearly all single and double fruit buds, too many together for the twig to mature. and ripen. Now, if the twig is shortened in half, that act serves a double purpose-it thins the fruit half, checks the natural tendency of the flow of sap to the terminal point and stimulates one or two of the weak buds at the base of the twig into growth to form new growth and fruit buds for the next year's crop. By pruning, you from year to year create young, healthy, vigorous wood; a constant renewal, so that a peach orchard at twenty years will look as vigorous and healthy as an orchard but three years old.

Therefore, if the reasons I have given why a peach tree should be pruned annually are correct, you who have neglected to prune can