The maggots or larvae of a tiny wasp are overvjintering in those galls. If you 

 simply drop them on the ground or a brush heap the wasps will emerge next summer 

 and come right back into your planting to lay eggs. 



Result? More galls'. 



ic i< -ic it -k ie it i< ic it it it it it it it 



Home orchardists should plan to apply a dormant oil spray this year'. San 

 Jose scale is being found in increasing numbers. It kills twigs, branches and 

 even trees. The "General-purpose" spray and dust materials and schedules are 

 not good enough to handle this particular scale. 



A dormant oil spray on all backyard fruit trees, especially apples and 

 pears, should be a "must" operation this year - and for good measure - next year 

 too. Don't miss any part of the bark'. 



E. H. Wheeler 



I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 



PEACH BUDS UNUSUALLY HARDY IN 1958 



Much to the amazement of the writer, peach buds withstood the -I60F temperature 

 which occurred in the University peach orchard on February 18. In most years a 

 temperature of -16°F. would be expected to kill practically all peach buds. However, 

 a check of approximately 200 fruit buds showed the per cent of live buds for each 

 of the following varieties to be Elberta 7 5%, Redhaven 787o, Golden Jubilee 80% 

 and Halehaven 567o. It is most unusual for Elberta to have 7 5% of its buds alive 

 after a -16°F temperature. The Halehaven trees are located at a lower elevation 

 than the Elberta trees and probably were subjected to a temperature a few degrees 

 below that for Elberta. This could account for the greater degree of killing with 

 Halehaven. 



The factors responsible for the remarkable hardiness exhibited by peaches 

 this winter probably started last year. These trees were without a crop last 

 summer and they were not pruned because of the wood injury which occurred in 

 the sub zero temperatures of January, 1957. Past experience has shown that 

 peach trees which have had a heavy crop will not have as many fruit buds survive 

 severe winter temperatures as trees with light to medium crops. 



Another factor in the hardiness of peach buds this winter was the temperatures 

 which occurred prior to the extreme cold of February 18. For 10 days to two weeks 

 the temperature did not get above freezing. This long cold spell conditioned the 

 peach buds so that they were at their maximum hardiness. On the other hand if the 

 temperatures prior to February 18 had been considerably above freezing the peach 

 buds would have lost considerable hardiness and it is doubtful if any buds would 

 have survived the -Ib^ temperature. Thus it appears that conditions were most 

 favorable for maximum hardiness of peach buds in 1958. It is doubtful if commercial 

 peach orchards in the State had lower temperatures than what occurred in the 

 University orchard, so we can expect a peach crop providing we do not get any 



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