22 THE AMERICAN PEACH ORCHARD 



ing can be removed, the tree top easily returned to an 

 upright position, tied to its necessary stake, and the 

 summer begun in the pleasant prospect of a crop of 

 peaches in September. 



This method of Mr. Macomber's avoids the rude 

 necessity of trenching and root pruning, accomplish- 

 ing the same ends by milder practices. The annual 

 laying down and setting up is rather easier; but it 

 need not be forgotten that this is partially offset by 

 the labor of training the tree to form its peculiar 

 horizontal trunk. And once more it may be observed 

 that these methods are only for the devoted ama- 

 teur gardener, not for the cow farmer nor the com- 

 mercial fruit grower. 



DAMAGE BY SPRING FROSTS 



The killing of opening buds or expanded blos- 

 soms by late spring frosts is quite another story, 

 and a serious one, especially for the reason that 

 it most frequently occurs in regions where peach 

 growing is otherwise safe and profitable. The 

 methods already outlined for the prevention of dam- 

 age by winter freezing will usually serve also to 

 carry the trees past danger of spring frosts, though 

 not always. But these methods are too difficult 

 and expensive to be of much avail in commercial 

 orchards, so that when spring frost injury is to be 

 directly prevented different methods are adopted. 

 Those most widely used are whitewashing, smudg- 

 ing and heating. 



WHITEWASHING 



The method of protecting peach trees from frost 

 by whitewashing seems to have been invented by 



