- 8 - 



Perh 

 ri peni ng 

 be ripene 

 i ty is to 

 yet only 

 is the cu 

 sumer wit 

 are ripen 

 consumer 

 the satis 

 been gene 



aps the greatest deterrent to prime quality is improper 

 of pears. Most pears do not ripen in storage, thus must 

 d after storage. All that is needed to achieve peak qual- 

 hold them at 60-65°F until sufficiently soft and yellow, 

 too often they never attain this peak. Proper ripening 

 Imination of all the grower's efforts to provide the con- 

 h a high quality item. If the pears are not ripened or 

 ed at too high or too low a temperature, not only is the 

 being robbed of quality, the grower is being robbed of 

 faction, reputation, and repeat sales that could have 

 rated by that lost quality. 



*************** 



PAINT OR WHITEWASH FOR PEACH TREE TRUNKS 



William J. Lord 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



At a twilight meeting last May, the author mentioned seeing 

 peach trees in New Jersey painted with either latex paint or white- 

 wash to help reflect heat and keep trunks cooler during warm days 

 in mid-winter. On sunny, winter days, large amounts of heat are 

 accumulated by the tree trunk and trunk temperature may rise 4oof 

 or more above air temperature. At night, trunk temperatures fall 

 to near air temperature. If the tissues are not dormant, the ex- 

 treme temperature fluctuations can cause injury to the cambium 

 (dividing) and phloem (food conducting) tissues in the trunk and 

 upward into the lower scaffold limbs. Winter-injured trees are 

 more susceptible to peach cankers which cause extensive damage in 

 Massachusetts . 



It was suggested at the twilight meeting that some information 

 concerning the recommendations in New Jersey for painting or white- 



washing peach tree trunks be 

 tion below was obtained from 

 Horticultural News published 

 Society and prepared by E. G 

 Uni versi ty . 



included in Fruit Notes . The informa- 

 an article in January, 1971, issue of 

 by the New Jersey State Horticultural 

 Christ, Extension Pomologist, Rutgers 



"Peach trees that are 3 to 5 years of age are most susceptible 

 to cold damage and it has been shown that the southwest side of 

 the tree trunk can reach temperatures as much as 45° or 500 p. higher 

 than the air temperature on a sunny day in January and February. 

 A study in Hammonton during the winter of 1965-66, reported in 

 November, 1966 Horticultural News , showed on one day, February 8, 

 1966, air temperature was 390F. The whitewashed southwest side of 

 a peach tree reached a maximum of 520F., but the unpainted tree 

 trunk was at 84.50F. The air temperature dropped to 14.50F. at 

 1:00 a.m. on February 9, This was the greatest drop in temperature 



