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CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERvicE [Ciro 42
Tuscan (Tuskena) —This variety originated in Mississippi. It
received a place on the fruit list of the American Pomological Society
in 1873. There appear to be several types, such as, for example, the
Ontario. The fruit is large, of good quality, with yellow clingstone
desh. It has been rather extensively planted in the interior valleys
and foothills of California. It is perhaps the best early cling variety
for canning, although the flesh tends to be red about the pit. The
fruit ripens rapidly, the skin is thin and the flesh bruises easily, hence
this peach does not ship satisfactorily. There is much loss from so-
ealled ‘split-pit’ during certain seasons.
PROPAGATION, SELECTION AND CARE OF NURSERY STOCK
[t is the common practice for peach growers to buy nursery grown
rees. The reasons for this are that the grower ordinarily does not
wish to wait a year or more and seldom has the time, facilities, or
sxperience for the successful propagation of trees.
When growers prefer trees propagated from buds taken from their
own orchard and are willing to wait, it is often possible to contract
with a nursery for their propagation. This may be warranted where
there is difficulty in getting nursery trees of the desired type or strain.
It will rarely be impossible, however, to buy good trees at reasonable
prices. Home-grown trees may be economically produced when the
grower is skilled in propagation methods, when he has the time and
facilities to do the work, and requires sufficient trees to warrant this
special work. Whether the peach grower buys nursery-grown or uses
home-grown trees, certain essentials should be known in order to make
a wise selection. The discussion pertaining to propagation is given
with this idea in mind.
Kinds of Rootstocks Used—A survey made by M. J. Heppner,
formerly of the University of California, indicated that for the season
of 1927-28 the rootstocks used by the nurserymen for peaches were as
follows: peach, 98.9 per cent; apricot, 0.8 per cent; and almond, 0.3
per cent. While popularity usually indicates which rootstock is best,
the individual merits of the rootstock for conditions in the orchard
should also be considered. The rootstock should make a good union
with the peach, be adapted to the soil conditions, resistant to diseases
and insects, and be uniformly true to type.
The Peach Root.—The peach is the most important rootstock and
makes an excellent union with the commercial varieties of peaches.
The nurserymen are using seedlings grown from Lovell pits or from
pits of some of the other varieties in California, such as Salwey,
