The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-03-21

Snill, the thermometer reaching from
y to % degrees below zero. In the
Missouri peach belt the buds are con
ceded killed, but it is not thought the
trees are seriously injured. Some re
ports indicate, however, that the trees
were killed. Reports received l.om
the lake region of Northern Michigan
indicate all trees with the exception of
Hills Chill, killed to the ground. The
thermometer stood below zero for q
great number of conse cutive days and
the ground was frozen four feet deem
Reports from Southern Indiana indi
cate trees badly damaged, the tempera
ture reaching Is below. In Eastern
Tenn essee trees were probably unin
Jured, but not living bud is to be
found. The peach region in Kentucky
along the OHIO River reports the entire
destruction of the crop. In few sec
lions, owing, apparently, to local con
dIlons, peach buds were uninjured
Mr.. Hale reports receiving buds from
Northeastern Pennsylvania, two thirds
OF which were sound. He has some
trees of Hills Chill in his Connecticut
orchards and from these he expects a
fair crop. Hills Chill is said to be the
hardest peach grown and is planted
to a considerable extent in New Eng
land, New York, Ohio and Michigan
After the great freeze of 1874-75
when everything in Michigan was
frozen to the ground, growers planted
immense areas Of this pes 8ch, and
though reports have not been receive
at the Department as to condition in
this State, it may be presumed that
the crop largely Withstood the free ze
Since the great freeze in question
there has been a constant tendency to
produce a hardy peach of good quality
and great improvement has resulted
in this respect Hills Chill is not con
sidered a good eating peach, and the
problem for fruit experimenters is to
evolve, by hybridization or otherwise
a peach which will combine hardness
with good eating qualities. This could
probably be done by crossing Hllps
Chill or Wager, both hardy but some
what inferior peaches, upon some i'm
proved or more tender variety and
allowing the trees to grow up to fruit
iUg in nursery rows Mr.. Taylor, the
Assistant PomoIogist of the Depar5
ment, states that he has received cnly
Two specimens of uninjured peach
buds, and these may have been pro
| tec5ed by snow drifts. An interesting
development has resulted through at
| tempGs to improve the Hills Chill,
This peach comes quite true to seed
and while but little has been done in
efforts to by bridize it, large Seeding
orchards have been planted While
the parent peach is a yellow free stone
variety, many of the seedlings have
borne white free stone peaches. The
seedlings from these, however,-the
grandchildren OF the Hills Chile-have
reverted again to the yellow flesh and
| considerable improvements have re
suited
In Western New York, around Nj
agara where the thermometer only
reached about ten below zero reports
are more favorable There are, how.
ever, few peaches in this region, but
iarge orchards If cherries, plums eLd
pears and the buds were not largely
l. jIred Michigan seems to have come
ia for as hard usage as any section. In
addition to peaches being frozen, one
'arge apple grower states that all his
Ben Davis, Baldwin, Early Harvest
and sweet apple trees, some of them
twenty years old are dead to the
ground. An interesting fact is noticed
In mining soms Of the trees in the
Department grounds While the pith
OF Duchess, Bartlett and other pears
are blackened by the freeze, K9iff r
shows absolutely no injury.
Mr.. J. Van Liudley, Of this State,
also tells the Greensboro Record that
we shall have no peaches this year.
He tn .nks the recent cold snap killed
them all in the bud, as day or two
o. warm weather about February 1st
had caused the buds to swell.
A TIT d II