PURE AND IMPURE FOODS. 
Edited by C. F. Lancwortuy, Pu.D. 
Author of “On Citraconic, Itaconic and Mesaconic Acids,” *‘Fish as Food,” etc, 
“What a Man Eats He Is.’ 
PEACHES IN COLD CLIMATES. 
Though peach trees will stand quite se- 
vere winters, late spring frosts are fatal 
to a crop. The flower buds open in the 
warm sunshine of early spring, only to be 
killed by the frost which in colder regions 
is almost sure to follow. 
Various devices have been tried to pre- 
vent early flowering or to protect the trees 
until danger is past. Peach growing from 
a commercial standpoint in Colorado is 
largely confined to the Western slope of 
the mountains where conditions are favor- 
able. The trees find a congenial home in 
many localities in several counties, conse- 
quently large areas are devoted to the cul- 
tivation of this fruit. In the Eastern part 
of the State the crop was almost always 
ruined by spring frosts although the tree 
grew well. In 1896, some experiments 
were begun in the protection of trees which 
were so successful that the method fol- 
lowed is now practised on a large scale. 
This consists in laying down the trees and 
covering the tops. The process is des- 
cribed in a recent bulletin of the Colorado 
Experiment Station, in effect as follows: 
As soon as the trees have shed their 
leaves and the wood is well ripened, they 
are ready for winter quarters. This is 
usually in the early part of November. The 
first step in the operation consists in re- 
moving the earth from a circle about 4 
feet in diameter about the tree. When suf- 
ficient trees have been treated in this man- 
ner to make the work progress advanta- 
geously, water is turned into the hollows. 
After the ground has become saturated, the 
trees are worked back and forth and the 
water follows the roots, loosening the soil 
around them so they are pushed over 
in the direction that offers the least resis- 
tance. When treated in this manner the 
trees go over easily and with comparative- 
_ ly little injury to the root system, provid- 
ing they have been laid down each year. 
It is difficult to handle old trees in this 
manner, if they have never been laid down - 
and usually it will not pay to try. 
After the trees are on the ground, fur- 
ther work should be delayed until the 
ground has dried sufficiently to admit of 
ease in the handling of the dirt. The 
limbs may then be brought together with 
a cord and so lessen the work of covering. 
After experimenting with many kinds of 
coverings, burlap held in place with earth 
has proved the most satisfactory. The 
burlap is spread out over the prostrate 
tree top, taking special pains to protect the 
blossom buds from coming in direct con- 
tact with the earth covering. A light layer 
of earth is then thrown over the tree and 
the protection is complete. 
The critical time in growing peaches by 
this method is in the spring when growing 
weather begins. Close watch must be’ kept 
to see that the blossoms do not open pre- 
maturely, or that the branch buds are not 
forced into tender white growth. When 
the blossom buds begin to open, the cov- 
ering should be loosened so as to admit 
light and air, but it should not all be re- 
moved. More of the covering should be 
removed as the weather gets warmer, but 
the blossoms must be exposed to the sun 
gradually. 
Air and light are, of course, necessary 
for proper fertilization of the flowers, but 
after this process is complete and the fruit 
is set, all danger from the weather is con- 
sidered over. The trees are usually raised 
about the middle of May. 
Raising the trees is, of course, a simple 
task. The ground is again watered and 
when wet enough the trees are raised. To 
be sure, trees that have been treated in this 
manner will not usually stand upright un- 
supported. Consequently, they are propped 
up at an angle, usually 2 props being re- 
quired to keep the wind from swaying 
them. 
When this method of growing peaches 
was first presented before the Colorado 
State Horticultural Society, it was received 
with not a little sarcasm by some of the 
members, but the practicability of laying 
down the trees is now no longer ques- 
tioned. The constantly increasing acreage 
of peaches proves that it pays. The actual 
expense is, of course, difficult to estimate, 
because of the attention required in the 
spring. The cost of the fall work can 
be estimated, however, as it has been found 
that 2 men will lay down and cover 25 of 
the largest trees in a day. 
This process seems to be in no way det- 
rimental to the health of the trees, since 
they live as long and bear as much fruit 
according to the size of the top as those 
grown in peach sections. It is, of course, 
necessary to cut out the wide spreading 
branches and thus reduce the size of the 
top in order to lessen the work of cover- 
ing. 
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