Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-09-13
WHITEWASH TO
PROTECT FRUIT
Form of Protection to Buds
That Are PrematureIy
Advanced
Charleston Bureau Evening Teller.

1ldIhSlOH BUREAU ENSulHE 1SASr'
CHARLESTON, Wash, Sept. a.
In our mild and sunny climate peach
growers have to contend with sudden
changes of temperature, varying from
10 to 20 or more degrees. These sud-
den changes create havoc with the
tender peach and other buds and re-
suit annually in great loss to the fruit
industry.
Under the influence of the warm at
motsphere, on bright winter days. the
tender buds of the peaches are stimu-
lated to growth and are prematurely
advanced and weakened This condi-
ton occurring frequently the buds are
in no condition to Withstand the lower
temperature which always follows, and
the result is loss amounting to hun
dreds of thousands of dollars to the
growers throughout the country.
Experiments conducted in various
peach belts in the United States have
determined that there is a correlation
between the color of peach twigs and
their ability to Withstand these sud-
den changes in temperature In other
words, there is a correlation between
the color and hardness in the peach.
These observations show that the
hardy varieties usually produce lighter
colored twigs than those which fire.
quently winter kill.
Examination of peach buds at vari-
Gus times in the winter shows that the
fact that the harder varieties pro-
ducing pale twigs are less hure is due
to the fact that they are less easily
stimulated into growth on warm days
4 and as a consequence remain more
+ thoroughly dormant during winter
than do those which possess dark
twigs.
These discoveries have led to fur
a Their experiments. Thermometers
placed in the twigs of very purple
colored varieties show that on sunny
days in winter these twigs often at
tain a temperature of Is or 20 de-
grees higher than the temperature of
the atmosphere.
: Experiments in the laboratory show
. that the purple coloring matter of
the twigs has the power of absorbing
great quantities of heat from the sun.
Similar experiments show that when
Thermometers were placed among
j twigs whitened with whitewash that
the whitened twigs remained at atmo-
spheric temperature or slightly below.
1t will readily be seen that raise
of Is or 20 degrees in temperature of
the purple twlgs above atmospheric
temperature might cause them to make
considerable growth and become adj
vanced sufficiently to be seriously in
jured by subsequent falling of the
temperature.
These observations have led to care
full experiments in whitening the twigs
/ by withdrawing the trees. The re-
| suits in every case have ben to retard
| development of the buds.
| Here, where we use the lime sulphur
| spray each year, it would seem the
| part of wisdom to combine with it the
| whitewash There is no question as
| to the value of the wash, or that il
| would pay every peach grower to
| thoroughly whitewash all his peach
| trees.
| Experiments are at present being
/ |
| a view of crossing the light-twigged
/ varieties with the purple-twigged va
/ rieties to determine, if possible, wheth-
| err or not varieties may be obtained
| from which the purple color will be
1 eliminated and yet produce as good
| fruit as do the purple-twigged sorts.
/ An experiment is recorded in Mis-
| souri, where whitened buds remained
practically dormant until April, wher
| unprotected buds swelled perceptiblS
| during the warm days late in February
and early March. Whitened buds
blossomed three to six days later thar
| unprotected buds. Eighty per cent o.
whitened buds passed the winter safe
/ ly, when only 20 per cent of unwhit'
! ened buds passed the winter unframed