292 FUNDAMENTALS OF FRUIT PRODUCTION 



Attention must be called to the greater application of the principles 

 just outlined the farther south the location and their diminished applica- 

 bility northward. Wiegand^^^ reported that in New York fruit buds 

 did not grow from about Nov. 15 until about Mar. 1, when apple and 

 apricot buds began a relatively rapid development culminating in open 

 blossoms 8 and 7 weeks later respectively. Peach buds did not begin 

 their spring growth until Mar. 23 and came into blossom with the apricots 

 on Apr. 23. It appears from these observations that the cooler and 

 shorter growing season in the north, though it stops growth earlier 

 by the calendar, makes the peach buds less advanced at the onset of the 

 dormant period and less easily started into growth, while the colder 

 winters add to this effect. 



However, an interesting case is reported by Maynard^^^ in Massachu- 

 setts. Early in November, 1884, peach buds appeared fully matured. 

 Following warm weather late in the month the stamens and pistils in- 

 creased measurably in size and the bud scales loosened. The minimum 

 temperature to Dec. 11 was 18°F.; at this time some buds had been killed, 

 but the majority were unhurt and the petals had begun to take on color. 

 Following a minimum of 10°F. on Dec. 19 and 20 all fruit buds were 

 destroyed. 



Premature starting from the rest period is, however, a less common 

 occurrence in northern peach regions. The very practices recommended 

 for retarding it, if carried out too thoroughly in northern regions, though 

 they might conceivably benefit the grower once in 20 seasons, would in 

 the other 19 make his trees more liable to injury because immature and he 

 would probably have damaged trees in 10 of these years. The southern 

 grower guarding perhaps once against immaturity would suffer from pre- 

 cocious bud development 10 times. Each grower must determine the 

 danger more commonly met in his orchard and steer wide of this particular 

 rock, hoping he will no more than scrape his keel on the other. At the 

 same time the grower in ''southern" regions may be on the northern 

 limit for certain of the southern peach groups and thus in the same 

 orchard he may have to contend with short rest period in one variety 

 and with immaturity in another. 



Injuries to Vegetative Tissues 



Sunscald is the common name of a late winter injury likely to occur 

 in the north as well as in the south. It is found on all types of fruit trees, 

 on European chestnut and on various shade and forest trees. Very 

 small trees are rarely troubled by winter sunscald and trees old enough 

 to develop thick, scaly bark are less subject in the parts so protected. 

 Attention is drawn to the injury by the dead and dry appearance of the 

 bark on the southwest side of the trunk where the sun strikes strongest 

 between noon and 2 o'clock. Sometimes this area is filled with a fer- 



