Killing of Plant Tissue by Low Temperature 



301 



of the apple growing region this blooming in spring can be caused 

 to be delayed by prolonging the rest period, as in the case of peaches, 

 has not been studied. Mr. Faurot however, tells of an instance in 

 which cultivated trees were three days later in coming into bloom 

 than uncultivated trees of the same variety, with like treatment in 

 every other way. The fact that the buds on well kept Jonathan 

 orchards on good soil were not killed to such a large extent by the 

 freezes of December, 1909, as were the buds on trees in neglected 

 orchards that had gone dormant much earlier the season before, 

 seems to indicate that the buds in early winter, at least, are kept 

 dormant later by keeping the tree vigorous. 



An opinion is held by some fruit growers and horticulturists 

 that if the tree is in a vigorous condition the bloom or young fruit 

 will withstand lower temperatures because of the healthier condi- 

 tion of the bloom or young fruit. Three Gano apple trees on the 

 Station grounds have been left unsprayed and uncultivated and are 

 in a weak condition, one of them in a very weak condition. At 

 times bloom or young fruit from these have been frozen along with 

 bloom or young fruit from well kept Gano trees. These weak trees 

 and the vigorous trees in Columbia bloomed at the same time. The 

 following table gives the results: 



Table 52. Showing Relative Hardiness of Bloom and Fruit 

 From Weak and From Vigorous Gano Apple Trees 



Material 



Vigorous sprayed tree 



Weak unsprayed tree 



Vigorous sprayed tree 



Weak unsprayed tree 



Vigorous sprayed tree. ... 



Weak unsprayed tree 



Very weak unsprayed tree 

 Vigorous sprayed tree 



(fruit 'h in. in dia.) 



Very weak unsprayed tree 



(fruit }4 in. in dia.) 



1,'12 

 1,'12 

 1,'12 

 1,'12 

 4,'12 

 4,'12 

 4,'12 



May 18,'12 

 May 18,'12 



Percent- 

 age 

 Killed 



71.4 

 87.5 

 100.0 

 95.0 

 21.1 

 19.7 

 32.6 



81.9 



83.5 



It will thus be seen that there is no constant difference in the 

 hardiness of the fruit from the weak and the vigorous tree. Casual 

 observers may mistake loss of crop from cool weather at blooming 



