60 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



III. IS THE WOOD OF SOME VARIETIES MORE SUCCULENT THAN THAT OF 

 OTHERS MAKING SUCH SORTS SUSCEPTIBLE TO COLD? 



Every experienced orchardist or nurseryman knows that there is a great 

 variation in the texture of peach wood. Some varieties have a much more 

 succulent growth than others grown under the same conditions. Succulency 

 of growth is in some cases a well marked varietal character and one that 

 can be avoided in selecting sorts to plant where hardiness is a requisite. 

 Summarizing the answers from New York and Michigan the following are 

 the sorts most often named as having the softest and sappiest wood growth : 

 Early Crawford and Late Crawford are named by practically all corres- 

 pondents as being most succulent in growth, following which, named in order 

 of degree of succulency come: Chair's Choice, St. John, Niagara and Sur- 

 prise. 



IV. ARE YOUNG OR OLD TREES HARDIEST? 



Beyond all question young trees suffer most in sever winter freezes. Prac- 

 tically all of my correspondents in both New York and Michigan agree to 

 this and as a proof many of the Michigan growers give their experience in 

 the several severe freezes that have occurred in that State during the past 

 few years in which young trees universally suffered most. It is probable 

 that young trees are injured most because they make a much greater and 

 much ranker growth than the older ones and hence more sap remains in 

 them during the winter. The formation of buds in the older trees is helpful, 

 too, in maturing the wood. There are, however, many exceptions to the 

 statement that young trees are less hardy to cold than old ones. Old trees 

 can be forced to produce large quantities of new wood susceptible to winter- 

 killing, while on the other hand the superabundant growth of young trees 

 can be kept down by orchard treatment. It is fair to assume, too, that old 

 trees possessing very low vitality are less hardy than vigorous young trees. 

 Thus it was often noted that old trees which had suffered from the ravages 

 of borers, or fungus parasites as curl-leaf or shot-hole fungus, were easily 

 killed by cold. 



While young trees are more susceptible to freezing than old ones yet they 

 are much more likely to recover, if recovery is possible, and their return 

 to the normal condition is more rapid. This is probably true because of the 

 greater vigor of the younger plants and because of the possibility of an 

 entirely new covering of bark for small trees often impossible with larger 

 ones. 



V. NAME THE FIVE VARIETIES OF PEACHES MOST HARDY IN WOOD. 



There was as would be expected great difference of opinion as to the sorts 

 most hardy. In New York the following five sorts, in order named, w^ere 

 considered most hardy: Crosby, Hill's Chili, Stevens Rareripe, Gold Drop 

 and Elberta. In Michigan practically every grower considered Hill's Chili 

 most hardy in wood followed closely by Crosby, then Gold Drop, Kalamazoo 

 and Barnard. It was interesting to note that Elberta, Smock and Salway, 

 considered fairly hardy in* New York, are somewhat tender in Michigan. 

 The three upon which growers agree in both states as begin hardiest are Hill's 

 Chili, Crosby and Gold Drop. Wager, Jaques Rareripe, Carman, Belle 

 of Georgia, Hale's Early, Champion and Greensboro, none of them in the 

 lists of five hardiest, are hardier than the average. 



