The Globe-republican., 1897-10-21

Winter Protection Of the Peach.
Ford county peach growers will be In
|terested in the following bulletin, issuet
by the Missouri Agricultural Experiment
Station, at Columbus, Mo:
Numerous experiments in protecting
the peach against winter killing have
been carried on the Missouri Experiment
Station during the past two years. Tht
results of these trials are reported by
Prof. j. C. Written in Bulletin 80 Of
that station. The bulletin is illustrated
with cuts showing the different methods
employed, and is for free distribution
among the peach growers Of the Missiles
ippi valley.
In this latitude, winter killing of the
fruit buds of the peach is usually due to
the unfavorable effects of freezing, after
they have been stimulated to growth by
warm weather or early spring. It is sell
dom that the temperature drops suffici-
emily low to injure dormant peach buds.
Peach fruit buds may safely endure a
temperature of ten or twenty degrees be-
low zero, provided they mature we'll in
autumn, are entirely dormant and the cold
comes on gradually. Zero weather may
kill fruit buds that have swollen during
previous warm days, or that were not
properly ripened in autumn. The early
swelling and growth Of the buds is due
to the warmth they receive from the sun
on bright days, is practically indepen-
dent of root action, and may take place
on warm, sunny days in winter, while
the roots are frozen and dormant.
Shading or whitening peach trees to
prevent their absorbing heat on sunny
days, opposes growth of the buds, and is,
consequently, protective measure.
Whitening the twigs and buds by spray
ing them with lime whitewash is, Oh &C
count of its cheapness and beneficial eff
fects, the most promising method of
winter protection tried at that station.
These whitened buds remained practi-
cally dormant until April, while unpro-
tected buds swelled perceptibly during
warm days late in February and early in
March. Eighty per cent of the whitened
buds passed through the winter safely,
while only twenty per cent of the I'M
whitened buds escaped winter killing.
Whitened buds blossomed three to six
days later than 4nwhitened ones. Their
mometers covered with material the color
of the peach twigs registered during
bright sunny weather, from ten to over
twenty degrees higher than thermome-
ters covered with white material of SINH
lar texture, thus indicating that whit
ened peach twigs might be expected to
absorb much less heat than those that
were not whitehead.
The whitewash used was four parts of
water, one part of skinned milk and
enough freshly Stacked lime to make as
thick wash as could conveniently be
pumped through Bordeaux spray nozzle
without clogging. This wash was sprayed
on the trees by means of a bucket spray
pump. The first application was made
the last of December and three subse-
quent sprayings we're necessary to keep
the trees thoroughly coated until spring.
The cost for material and labor is about
10 cents per tree, when done on a small
scale.
Shading the trees with canvas hay
covers was about as beneficial as whiten-
ing, but was more expensive.
'Baling." by drawing the branches to-
gether in vertical bundle and covering
them with coarse grass and corn stalks,
protects the buds. Old trees with stiff
cannot well be treated in this
manner without injury to the branches.
'Layering," or bending down the trees
in autumn and covering with earth, has !
provevd beneficial. Shading the trees with
board sheds, enabled peach buds to sur
vive the winter uninjured, when eighty
per cent of unprotected buds were killed. |
Trees protected in this way blossomed
later, remained in bloom longer, set
more fruit in proportion to the number |
Of apparently perfect flowers, and held |
their fruit better than any other trees |
on the station grounds. This is the most |
effective means of winter protection |
tried at the station, but it Is probably too |
for commercial orchards.
Those who believe chronic 1iarrhoea
to be incurable should read what Mr.. p.