THE PEACH AND NECTARINE. 139 



can easily conceive such a time, when a part of the 

 buds start, and a part do not. In one season, the 

 lower buds on the tree, which received the reflect- 

 ed heat from the ground, nearly all started, and 

 were killed, while those on the tops of the trees 

 were not injured. It is evident that a very slight 

 depression of temperature would have been suffi- 

 cient to have prevented the lower buds from start- 

 ing. But the warmth may be so great, either late 

 in autumn or in mid -winter, that no check of the 

 kind would be sufficient." (D. Thomas.) 



It has often been observed that woods or thick 

 trees, buildings, high board fences, or steep hills, 

 on the east side of peach orchards, protect the crop. 

 Hence the erroneous opinion, that it is the east 

 wind which does the damage. It is the sunshine 

 upon the frozen buds which destroys them; hence, 

 a clouded sky after a clear frosty night, by prevent- 

 ing sudden thawing, sometimes saves a crop. 



