PEACH AND THE PEAR. 95 



three to five days that the young peach is in this tender, 

 unprotected state, and this is about the difference in 

 ripening between the upper and lower orchards of the 

 peninsula, and so the same frost may strike the buds 

 below in their unprotected state, whilst those in the 

 upper region of the peninsula may escape injury, not 

 having progressed to the unprotected state. The peach 

 is very warm blooded, and very little coquetting with 

 warm weather induces it to leave its winter home. 

 Hence, warm spells the latter part of January and in 

 February, or even in March, cause the sap to rise, and 

 the buds to swell, and a cold snap following, destroys 

 vast numbers of buds, and weakens the bearing v/ood. I 

 am satisfied that many orchards are thus deprived of 

 their season's fruit. Late spring frosts, especially with 

 moisture, often destroy the crops, especially when they 

 catch the young peach bare. The peach at this time 

 even, will stand a good deal of dry cold, but moisture 

 with freezing does the damage. An easterly storm with 

 cold rain at the blossom-shedding season, is a serious 

 evil, and I have known the crops thus much reduced. 

 After the leaves come out, for the tree blossoms before 

 it has leaves, the young peach is safe except the frost 

 be severe, and accompanied by moisture. Of course the 

 better condition the trees are in, the better they can 

 withstand cold. To sum up, the peach-tree wants a 

 winter of medium temperature, especially one free from 



