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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 WHAT KILLS THE PEACH BUDS? 



BY H. F. FRENCH. 



My Dear Brown : — Mr. Downing, and many 

 others of our beet horticulturists, say, that when 

 the thermometer falls lower than about 12° Far- 

 enheit, the peach buds are generally destroyed, 

 and that, too, as I understand it, by the mere stress 

 of weather, the mere intensity of cold. I have 

 always looked upon this idea with suspicion, be- 

 cause it has seemed inexplicable to me, that any 

 change should occur by any greater degree of 

 cold, if the buds are not affected when the mercu- 

 ry is at zero. Water freezes at 32 Q , and the sap 

 in the small twigs of the peach tree, I suppose 

 must be frozen, long before the weather is at ze- 

 ro. We all know that water as it becomes solid, 

 expands by crystalization, and we can readily 

 comprehend that such expansion may rupture the 

 sap-vessels of the wood or bud, and so destroy it. 

 If this is the cause of the destruction of the buds, 

 then it should happen whenever the sap freezes. 

 Now I will not undertake to affirm that the sap in 

 the peach does freeze until the thermometer reach- 

 es 12° below. It is possible that there is in the 

 sap of the peach and in the incomprehensible phe- 

 nomena of its circulation, a power of resistance to 

 cold, sufficient for its protection to that degree. I 

 speak cautiously on the subject, because there is 

 no theory of the circulation of" sap, which is per- 

 fectly consistent with known facts, and I set the 

 subject down among the matters not fully revealed. 

 The circulation of the blood of animals generates 

 heat in some way, and possibly the circulation 

 of the sap in plants may do the same. But gen- 

 erally, this does not seem to be so, for all of us 

 who have split cordwood in the winter, know that 

 in weather not so severe as we speak of, the logs 

 appear to be frozen solid, and will fly open at the 

 blow of the axe, like blocks of ice, and show the 

 frozen sap, sparkling like diamonds. 



After the sap has become solid, does it under- 

 go any change by the increased intensity of cold? 

 If not, how is it supposed, that a degree of cold 

 12° below zero kills the buds, when 5° below does 

 r.ot ? Although there seems to be a good deal of 

 evidence that Mr. Downing and his friends are 

 correct as to the fact, in the more southern lati- 

 tudes, yet it is otherwise at the North. 



Within the past fortnight, I have examined the 

 peach buds on many farms in the eastern part of 

 New Hampshire. My own, and those of most of 

 my neighbors, on the sandy plain, are all destroyed. 

 We had the thermometer 20 Q below. 



At Stratham, on several farms, they are nearly 

 all destroyed, and on others most of them are in- 

 jured. The degree of cold was more than 12° be- 

 low at all those places, and I can discover no rea- 

 son for the difference. 



I was at Derry, at the nursery of Samuel Wil- 

 son, yesterday, and examined a great many peach 

 trees, and they are perfectly sound and fresh, ex- 

 cept upon one or two varieties of tender trees, 

 which Mr. Wilson said, usually suffer. His ther- 

 mometer he saw 18° below, and others near went 

 •as low as 22 Q below, and his peach trees within 

 two rods of where the glass was kept, are full 

 of fresh sound blossom buds. He has trees on the 

 south side of his house, in warm exposures ; oth- 

 ers on the north side of hills, and others on the 

 hill tops, and they are uninjured, with very slight 



exceptions. Mr. Wilson is known as perfectly re- 

 liable, and assures me that his peach crop has 

 never failed in any instance for many years, and 

 the cold is generally greater than 12 Q below, ev- 

 ery winter. His opinion is, that the buds are de- 

 stroyed, usually in autumn, by sudden cold weath- 

 er upon trees on moist or rich land, where they 

 grow late in the season. With no theory of my 

 own to advocate, I am desirous to keep our read- 

 ers posted up as to the facts, that by-and-by we 

 may be able to draw the truth out of the well, in 

 which the old proverb truly says, she lies. 



Yours truly, h. f. f. 



DISSOLVING BONES IN ASHES. 



We give a plain, simple rule, suited to any 

 farmer who is disposed to save and use one of the 

 best fertilizers within his reach which is now al- 

 most universally wasted. 



Procure a stout earthern jar, of about thirty 

 gallons capacity, and a demijohn of sulphuric acid, 

 commonly called oil of vitrol. Now gather, or 

 save all the bones within your reach, until you 

 have 100 pounds, which will dissolve easier the 

 finer they are broken. Put these in the jar and 

 moisten them with water for a day or two. Now 

 dilute fifty pounds of acid with two or three times 

 its bulk of water and pour one-third of it upon the 

 bones. Stir them frequently, and on the morrow 

 add another third of the acid and water. Stir 

 them well, and if not dissolved sufficiently on the 

 next day, add the remainder of the liquid. As 

 soon as the bones are reduced, mix charcoal dust, 

 dry peat, saw dust, loamy earth, or if for imme- 

 diate use, ashes or lime may be used as a dryer, 

 until the whole is in the form of powder, conve- 

 nient for sowing by hand or drilling machine. You 

 may apply this at the rate of three to ten bushels 

 of the bones to the acre, sown broadcast and light- 

 ly plowed or harrowed in, so that the earth will 

 absorb the gaseous portions of the gelatine of the 

 bones, which is of great value, independent of the 

 phosphate of lime ; a substance greatly needed 

 upon all the cultivated ields and pastures of all 

 the old States of the Union. 



Instead of a jar, for dissolving the bones, you 

 may use a tub, or an iron kettle, but they will 

 soon be destroyed by the action of the acid. Upon 

 a large scale, the best way is to have a tight stone 

 floor, upon which, build a ring of moistened clay 

 or loam, as is often done in slacking lime or mix- 

 ing mortar. Within this place put the bones, and 

 wet with the acid as before directed, and when 

 ready for mixing with earth, rake in the ring and 

 stir all up together, adding as much substance 

 as may be necessary, or you may dilute the dis- 

 solved bones until you can spread the whole as 

 liquid manure, which is an admirable plan for all 

 grass lands. The purchase of the acid is not a 

 loss, being itself a valuable fertilizer. Bones may 

 also be dissolved by 1 toiling in strong ley and then 

 mixed with dryers, and sown ; or put in the com- 

 post heaps with plenty of peat earth v they will 

 cause to ferment and become exceedingly valuable. 

 Bones are now almost universally wasted by every 

 farmer, because he does not knuw how to prepare 

 them so as to avail himself of their great value. Let 

 him follow this short, simple direction, and it will 

 bo worth more than we charge for a thousand copies 

 of the paper, in which we are constantly giving him 

 such valuable information. — The Plow. 



