650 



PEACH BUDS WINTER KILLED. 



cold has not been experienced. In the 

 winter of 1S41, the writer of this, then in 

 Illinois, observed the peach buds repeatedly, 

 and found them green throughout. One 

 still morning, the thermometer stood 18° 

 below the zero of Fahrenheit. In a few 

 days I examined them again, and found the 

 fatal " blackness in their bosoms." 



Since writing thus far, I have observed 

 in the April number of the Horticulturist 

 the article of J. J. Thomas, of Macedon, on 

 the same subject. But I thought it best to 

 give you the additional facts which I have ; 

 as a general knowledge of observations al- 

 ready made, will be the best guide to direct 

 us in our future investigations. 



Marietta, Ohio, lies low on the Ohio river, 

 latitude 39^ 25'. In February, 1835, the 

 thermometer indicated — 1S°. " The coldest 

 since ISIS, when it was the same. The 

 effect on the peach trees was similar, but 

 not so general. In ISIS it killed the whole 

 of whatever age, while in 1835, the old 

 trees only were killed." 



The degree of cold necessary to kill the 

 trees remains to be ascertained. 



The winter of 1S36-7, Avns almost un- 

 paralleled in intensity of cold. At Dart- 

 mouth, N. H. the mercury fell to — 32^, at 

 Dover to — 1S°, at Albany, N. Y. to —16°, 

 at Cambridge to — 32°, at Cherry-Valley to 

 — 30°, at Dutchess to — 20°, at Hamilton to 

 — 2S°, and observations were published at 

 thirteen other places in N. Y., where it 

 was more than 14° below zero. In the 

 spring of 1S37, a writer at Cambridge re- 

 marks, in regard to the cold winter : " In the 

 northeastern States many peach trees were 

 killed, but few produced any blossoms, and 

 such as did blossom were so chilled by the 

 frost that ihey flowered later than the cher- 

 ry trees." 



The published tables of meteorological 



observations show that the latitude of gene- 

 ral successful peach culture, usually escapes 

 the temperoture of — 14°. In Lambertville* 

 N. J., latitude 40° 23', the coldest weather 

 in 1839, was +1°, in 1840—6°, in 1841 

 +03°, in 1S4S +10°, in 1843 +4^°, in 

 1844 +0i°, in 1845 +3°, in 1846 +1°. 

 In Stcubenville, Ohio, latitude 40° 25', the 

 coldest weather, from 1S33 to 1845, was 

 — 12°, and this temperature was experi- 

 enced but once. 



While in latitudes in which the peach 

 generally fails, the mercury is frequently 

 depressed to — 14°. In Dover, N. H., lati- 

 tude 43° 13', the greatest cold in 1835 was 

 — 2S°, in 1836 —17°, in 1837 -18°, in 

 1838 —12°, in 1839 —14°, in 1840 —14°, 

 in 1S41 —16°, in 1842 -8°. In Bloming- 

 ton, Iowa, in 1840—25°, in 1841 —23°, in 

 1S42 —21°, in 1843 —19°, in 1844—6°, 

 in 1845 —12°. 



The belt of country lying between lati- 

 tudes 40° and 43° occasionally experiences 

 this degree of cold, and the experience of 

 your readers living in these latitudes, will 

 probably testify that there is a correspond- 

 ing uncertainty in the fruitfulness of the 

 peach. 



Mr. Thomas' article, together with the 

 observations of the editor of the Horticul- 

 turist, makes it less necessary to enlarge in 

 proof of the statement that this temperature 

 more frequently occurs in valleys than on 

 hills. In this immediate vicinity observa- 

 tions have been made with thermometers at 

 three different elevations for several j^ears. 

 And on all extremely cold nights., when there 

 is no 7oind, the lowest thermometer shows the 

 lowest temperat7(re, the highest one the highest 

 temperature, and at the inter7nediate one in 

 elevation, the iemjeratjire is between the other 

 two. At one time during the past winter 

 the thermometer in the valley marked 



