300 Missouri Agr. Exp. Sta. Research Bulletin No. 8 



These results indicate that peaches, either in blossom or young 

 fruit, will withstand slightly lower temperatures than will apples. 

 The greater hardiness of the peach bloom is probably under-empha- 

 sized in this table. In the year 1911 the Elberta Seedling peach tree 

 came into full bloom on April 12, while the Ben Davis apple came 

 into full bloom on April 18 to 22, and the Stannard apple on April 

 20. It is almost certain then that the peach blossoms listed as fully 

 open were older than the apple blossoms so listed and had been pol- 

 linated and had started rapid growth, while the apples had not. In 

 1913 the Early Bernard peach came into full bloom on April 11, and 

 the Hiley and Rareripe on April 16-17, while Jonathan apple came 

 into full bloom April 24, and the Rome on April 29. Here then the 

 young fruits of the peach were older than were the young apple fruits 

 used. From results of freezes as seen in the orchard, we are con- 

 vinced that at times, at least, bloom and young fruit of peaches will 

 withstand lower temperatures than will apple bloom or young fruit. 



The freeze of April 30, 1908, when the temperature in Columbia 

 went to 28 F., killed only the percentages of young peach fruit 

 shown in Table 49, and an excellent crop was secured from the peach 

 trees the summer of 1908, while practically all the apple fruit was 

 killed ; yet the peach fruit had been set longer. The peach trees in 

 that year came into full bloom from April 5 to 7, while varieties of 

 apples like Ben Davis, Jonathan and Grimes, fruit of which was 

 all killed in this orchard, came into bloom from April 15 to 17. The 

 Ingram apple in that year came into full bloom on April 22 to 24 

 and had some bloom left when the freeze came. It had a fair crop 

 of apples left, and the Ralls, which came into full bloom from April 

 23 to 25 and had a considerable amount of open bloom when the 

 freeze came, had very few fruits or blooms killed. If peach blooms 

 or fruits are more often killed in spring than that of the apple, it is 

 because peaches usually bloom considerably earlier. 



In avoiding a loss from low temperatures in spring, the most 

 important factor is late blooming. Some varieties like Ingram and 

 Ralls bloom so much later than ordinary varieties that, except in 

 very few sections of the State, they are practically never killed by 

 spring frosts. Other varieties that apparently are seldom killed 

 under Missouri conditions are Benoni and Mother, according to in- 

 formation furnished by Mr. F. W. Faurot, formerly of the Missouri 

 State Fruit Experiment Station at Mountain Grove, Missouri. 

 Growers in southern Illinois also report Benoni as being rather safe 

 from frosts. Rome Beauty on many years blooms enough later than 

 other varieties to escape^injury. Whether in the southern portion 



