The Litchfield County post., 1827-05-03
FRUIT TREES.

1S the EdttOr ot the ~. E. Farmer. Sr,-I observe in your last paper an ar- ticle relating to the destruction of the fruit
 blossoms of peach trees, and an assurance
 that they are already frost bitten, and black
 SO as to leave no hopes of crop of this de-
 lightful fruit this year any more than the
 last. I hope MT. Editor, that your corres-
 pondeni is mistaken, in regard to his facts. It would be uncommon to have them des- troyed two years in succession; and from
 the little observation have been able to
 make, think he is. It does not follow
 because number of the fruit blossoms are
 black in the centre, that all the fruit is des-
 troyed, for if one fourth part of the b]os-
 som buds which are annually formed on
 peach trees were to set fruit, the trees would be overloaded.
 have no doubt that the writer of the ar- ticle in question, is right in believing that the fruit buds are killed by the first severe frosts that set in during the winter, and not in the spring, as is generrlly supposed. l recollect that in the winter of 1856 there was sudden change in the temperature a. bout the middle of Dec. when the mercury fell to or 6 degrees below zero, from very temperate and delightful one that had existed during the greater part of the au- tumn and previous part of that month. I thent thought and said, that both the peach tees and fruit buds would be injured by it, -and it proved that both were very much injured the most of the young shoots of the preceding summers growth were killed in part, if not in whole and all the Efruit buds on the trees were destroyed. But it was said that this ravage ofthe peach trees took place about the 18th or 18th of April when the frost was veay severe for the sea- son. This'is mistake as I shall show you.
 In the first place it would be extraordin- ary indeed, that the wood and buds of tree that had stood through the whole win ter without being killed by cold from high { CT temperature by 20 or 25 degrees than they had already been exposed to; particu- iarly as both the wood and the buds are betterprepared to resist after having endur- ed it for twoor three months, than they are in the early part of the winter before the wood and buds had become ripe and hard enough to resist the cold.
 But there is another reason which is con. elusive, think, as to this fact. My peach house was left open during the winter uuiil March 18th. when shut it up. I then saw that the fruit buds on my trees were principally killed; and in fact had no fruit or but very few on my trees. Now. as mv house was shut up after March 18th. the fruit could not have been injured by the frost in April.
 Dry warm falls prepare the wood best to resist the severefrosts of winter. 1.-the early part of winter is dry and moderately cold, the wood and buds will bear severe frosts withoutinjury; but warm wet falls and early winter leave both the wood and buds unripe and very tender, as the sap in snch cases is kept in an active state. and of course IS more liable to be acted on by the frost than when the alburnum has becoma hard and woody; and the bark ripe and hard. 1t is advantageous therefore to brush oil the leaves of peach trees as soon as the hrst frost has attacked them in the fall, that the shoots and buds may be exposed to the sun and air as much as possible before the winter sets in. Yours. &c.
 March 27, 1926.