WINTER INJURY 



287 



Indeed, Chandler'^ cites convincing evidence to this effect: "In the 

 year of 1901-1902 all of the buds were killed at the Missouri Experiment 

 Station orchard by a temperature of — 23°F. on Dec. 20. In 1902- 

 1903 practically all buds were killed by a temperature of — 15°F. on Feb. 

 17. In 1903-1904 buds were killed on all varieties except General Lee, 

 Chinese Cling, Thurber, Carman, Gold Drop, Triumph and Lewis by 

 a temperature of — 14°F. on Jan. 29. During the winter of 1904-1905 

 nearly all the buds were killed, yet practically all trees had a few left 

 alive and Triumph and Lewis a fair crop following a temperature of 

 -25°F. on Feb. 13. ... on Jan. 12, 1909, practically all the buds were 

 killed except on the most hardy varieties by a temperature of — 11°F. In 

 fact, fewer peaches were borne at Columbia following the winter of 1908- 

 1909 than following the winter of 1904-1905 when the temperature fell 

 to — 25°F. on Feb. 13. ... there was not more warm weather to start 

 the buds preceding the freeze of Jan. 12, 1909, at Columbia . . than 

 preceding the freeze of Feb. 13, 1905, at Columbia. 



"It would hardly seem possible that the buds in either case could 

 have been started into slight growth preceding the freeze. Buds start 

 very slowly even at high temperature early in January. . . . the low 

 temperature of Jan. 12, 1909, came suddenly following high temperature 

 while that of Feb. 13, 1905, came following 42 days of rather low tempera- 

 ture. For 16 days the maximum temperature did not go above the 

 freezing point. " 



Chandler suggests two possible reasons for buds surviving the colder 

 temperature of the 1904-1905 wint-er: the long exposure to low tempera- 

 ture which hardened them and the very slow falling of the temperatures. 



Changes in Water Content of Buds During Winter. — There is, how- 

 ever, abundant evidence that development in peach buds during warm 

 periods of the winter is frequently a contributing factor in winter injury. 

 Investigations in Maryland show a progressive change which easily may 

 be accelerated by pronounced warm weather.^^ It seems significant that 



