35 



teraperatnre had reached O'', or a few degi'ees below. When it has 

 reached from IS'* to 20° below the buds have nearly all been killed. 

 The following table shows the per cent of buds of several varieties 

 killed March 1st for the past tli^'ee years : 



1890 1891 1892 1890 1891 1892 



Amsden, 15 



Coolidge, 20 



Holland, (local seedling) 97 



Morris White, 85 



Oldmixon, 99 



Schumaker, 10 



Stump, 80 



Waterloo, 15 



PROTECTION OF THE BUDS. 



For many years numerous experiments have been made at this 

 station to discover some means for protecting the peach fruit-buds 

 from injury by cold during the winter, but, although every kind of 

 available covering material that suggested success has been used in 

 protecting the trees in an upright position, they have proved value- 

 less. For the past four seasons in November or early December the 

 roots of about a dozen trees, two or more of a kind, have been 

 loosened on the north and south sides, the trees laid over on the 

 ground and some left uncovered and others covered with various 

 protective materials. 



The first experiment (1888 and 1889) resulted in the destruction 

 of the buds by heating, the trees being covered too closely. In 1889 

 and 1890 the trees were covered with mats and other light material, 

 and a large per cent of the buds were preserved. In 1890 and 1891 

 light covering was again used, the following table giving the com- 

 parative results between protected and unprotected trees. 



Varieties. Protected. Unprotected. 



Stump, per cent of buds injured, 22 78 



Reeves' Favorite, " " " 23 97 



Wager, " " " 15 68 



At the present date, March 12th,1hc same varieties unprotected show 

 an average of 52% of the fruit buds destroyed, while those protected 

 have oul}' about 10% destroyed. Trees protected in this way are 

 easily set up in the spring and grow well and mature a crop. Of 

 the trees treated in this experiment, mauy'were more than ten years 

 old. 



