not worsen on trees having only 1 or 2 affected branches. It also 

 was of interest to note that latent buds produced growth on some of 

 these affected branches. 



Peach . The injured trees bloomed and then the blossoms wilted. 

 By late-May or early June, thousands of these trees had died or ex- 

 hibited severe injury. In some orchards entire blocks of trees were 

 removed in June. Weakened trees that were not removed had sparse 

 foliage throughout the summer and few peaches. These trees should 

 be replaced in 1980. 



Injury In Other Areas 



Winter injury in New Hampshire is discussed in separate article 

 in this issue of Fruit Notes . It also occurred in Washington, New 

 York, Maine and probably in other areas. 



According to James Ballard, Yakima County Extension Agent, Cen- 

 tral Washington, fruit orchards and vineyards suffered severe dam- 

 age in January, 1979. Sub-zero weather occurred during the last 

 week of December, 1978, and temperatures remained below freezing 

 for 24 consecutive days. Snow cover did not come until January 11, 

 1979, and by then the cold had penetrated root zones and soil temper- 

 atures had dropped to 14° F. The damage was most severe on trees 

 5-years-old or younger, planted on rocky, cultivated ground that 

 had little or now snow cover. 



Richard Norton, Fruit Specialist in Rochester, NY stated in 

 Spray Letter No. 10, May 13, 1979 that winter injury was the major 

 cause of: "(1) dying cherry trees - most young non-bearing trees; 

 (2) dying lower branches in bearing apple trees, particularly un- 

 pruned or poorly pruned trees, (3) spur dieback of young apple 



In July, 1979 Herbert Wave and Warren Stiles reported symptoms 

 of winter injury in Maine. They stated that the injury was varied 

 with malformed and/or russetted fruit, dieback of limbs and/or tops 

 of young trees, or killing of the rootstock. Most root injury occur- 

 red on wet soils or where there was little or no snow cover during 

 mid-winter. 



Cause and Factors Influencing Injury 



We believe the injury to the peach trees in Massachusetts, 

 which are generally planted on well-drained slopes, was due to lack 

 of .snow cover which allowed deep penetration of frost and alternate 

 thawing and freezing of the roots. At the HRC, the older bearing 



