HARDINESS OF THE PEACH. 127 



growers gave their opinion most decidedly for the five follow- 

 ing sorts, scarcely any others being named : Hill's Chili, Gold 

 Drop, Crosby, Kalamazoo and Barnard, with a few scattering 

 votes for Triumph, Early Rivers, Wager and Salway. 



NAME THE FIVE VARIETIES OF PEACHES MOST TENDER IN BUD. 



Growers in the two regions agree as to the sorts most ten- 

 der in bud. Not only are the same varieties given but in exactly 

 the same order, namely : Early Crawford, Late Crawford, Chair's 

 Choice, Reeve's Favorite and Elberta. Among other sorts 

 named as being tender in bud in one or the other or both States 

 are Old Mixon, St. John, Smock, Niagara, Surprise, Globe and 

 Mountain Rose. 



In summarizing the results of the investigation it appears 

 that the peach is certainly influenced as to hardiness by the cul- 

 tural treatment given. The presumption is, upon philosophical 

 grounds, if we accept neo-Lamarckism, — and most horticultur- 

 ists do, — that the external influences of orchard management 

 have a permanent eftect upon hardiness of the peach and that the 

 horticulturist is thus slowly but surely acclimatizing this species 

 to greater degrees of cold than it could once stand. It appears, 

 too, that there are favorable variations in the peach as to hardi- 

 ness of wood and of bud, from which the horticulturist can 

 select and breed varieties capable of withstanding the vicissi- 

 tudes of climates which in its wild state this plant could not have 

 borne. We have, in cultural treatment and selection, means at 

 the command of the horticulturist to acclimatize plants, and I 

 have tried to set forth in their relative importance the chief 

 factors as these means are now being used in the acclimatiza- 

 tion of the peach. 



