41 



or similar material. Some growers have laid down the trees 

 in the fall with success, but the labor involved and the check 

 to the trees from cutting the root system on two sides in 

 order to bend the trees over will interfere with a general 

 adoption of this scheme. In general one must rely on select- 

 ing hardy varieties and on a wise choice of site, and the latter 

 is a point that cannot be overemphasized. 



Certain soil conditions are believed to favor bud hardiness. 

 Among these are a warm, dry, gravelly soil, yet retentive 

 enough of moisture to promote good growth and prevent ex- 

 cessive drying out of the tree in winter; moderate fertiliza- 

 tion, giving vigorous growth completed so that the tree may 

 go into winter with well-ripened wood; and the growth of a 

 good cover crop as a winter protection of the soil. Low- 

 headed trees are thoilght to be more hardy than high-headed 

 ones. 



It ought to be possible to make progress in solving this most 

 important problem of peach growing by breeding bud hardy 

 varieties, and this is now being attempted at the State Ex- 

 periment Station. 



2. Winter-killing of the Wood. 



The fruit buds are considerably more tender than the wood, 

 yet in severe winters there is often considerable killing of the 

 branches and sometimes of the whole tree. The remarks con- 

 cerning bud injury will apply fairly well to wood injury, and 

 it is to be prevented as far as may be by much the same 

 methods. Varietal hardiness of wood and bud do not always 

 go together, as Elberta, which is tender in bud, is about as 

 hardy in wood as any variety. 



Peach trees will recover from winter injury if not too severe, 

 when proper steps are taken. These are a severe pruning of 

 the tree, cutting back into three or four year old wood, and 

 removing half or two-thirds of the top. Extremely heavy 

 pruning, spoken of as dehorning, is not to be resorted to. 

 Then the tree should be encouraged to make a strong growth 

 by thorough cultivation and fertilization with material rich 

 in nitrogen. 



