-7- 



of harrowing in manure as soon as possible after applying, or of spreading 

 it in rainy weather. Both forms of lime, but particularly the caustic forra, 

 accentuate the loss of ammonia on drying. Superphosphates on the other hand, 

 particularly the lower grades containing 18 to 20^^ of phosphoric acid, retard 

 the loss of ammonia by fixation. Gj'psuin, which makes up a considerable pro- 

 portion of the low-analysis phosphates, chemically absorbs ammonia under 

 certain conditions. __;^. b. Beaumont 



MORE ABOUT COL D INJURY T O PEACHES 



Since the last report in Fruit Notes, a fev/ peach grov/ers have 

 sent in reports v/hich indicate very close to a complete crop failure in 

 Massachusetts. Occasionally an orchard has 5 or perhaps lO^o of the fruit 

 buds alive. (This statement was v/ritten before the cold spell around Feb. 16.) 



Tv;o growers have reported v/ood injury. Further observations at 

 the College revealed only slight injury to the tops, but severe injury to 

 the trunks of some trees. In these injured trunks the cambium and outer 

 sapwood vjere brown. In a fevi, the bark also had been injured. 



Since the trunks of the trees are the last part to "harden off" 

 in the fall, they are especially susceptible to winter injury following a 

 late v/arm fall, such as occurred in 1942. Last fall the trees were kept 

 grovdng later than usual and the "hardening off" of the trunks was delayed. 

 The cold spell of December 20 and 21 caught the trunks only partly "hardened 

 off," and injury resulted. 



Peach growers will be v;ise to look for trunk injury and keep close 

 watch of any injured trees for they v;ill probably need special treatment later. 

 A small elliptical piece of bark cut from the trunk will reveal what has 

 happened and probably do the tree little harm. j. s. Bailey 



PRUNING Y;iNTER INJURED PEACH TREES 



It is becoming increasingly evident that most peach orchards vdll 

 have no crop this year. Therefore, in those orchards without a crop, now 

 is a good time to lower the tops of any trees which are becoming too tall. 

 Any branches which are too long and rangy should be cut back. Cutting to 

 a side branch in tv/o or three year old wood will reduce the tendency to 

 sucker. After all weak, injured and dead v/ood is removed, further thinning 

 should be done if necessary. 



In orchards v/here there are still live fruit buds, a thorough 

 checkup is desirable to find out v,rhere these buds are. Then the parts 

 of trees, or parts of iiae orchard, which shovi signs of bearing some fruit 

 should be left unpruned so as not to cut off any part of the small crop. 

 The rest of the orchard should be given a light but thorough thinning out. 



If the wood of top or trunk has been injured, a light but thorough 

 thinning out will induce plenty of new wood to form fruit buds for next year. 

 Trees which have had theirwDod severely injured had better be left unpruned. 

 They usually recover better that way. However, they v/ill benefit from light 

 fertilization and good care through the summer. j, g, Bailey 



