AN INDEX OF HARDINESS IN PEACH BUDS 
375 
Data showing the seasonal variation in the average green weight, dry 
weight, ratio of water content to green weight, and ratio of water content 
to dry weight of buds taken from the fifteen trees of the two varieties are 
presented in table i. The arrangement is such that corresponding values 
of the two varieties may be easily compared as well as the values for dif- 
ferent periods. The average green and dry weights represent the weights 
of ten buds. With the exception of the average dry weights of buds col- 
lected on November 8, all values representing the Elberta variety are 
greater than those representing the Greensboro. These higher values are 
mostly due to the greater amount of water contained in the buds. (It is 
assumed that in the drying process the amount of water lost makes up the 
largest part of the substances driven off and that no oxidation processes 
have taken place to change appreciably the dry weight values.) Both the 
green and dry weights of each variety increase month by month, slowly 
during the winter, but very rapidly in early spring. 
Table i. Data showing seasonal variation in average green weight, average dry weight, 
average ratio of moisture content to green weight, and average ratio of moisture content to 
dry weight of fruit buds of the Elberta and the Greensboro peach. 
Date Samples Were 
Collected 
Ave. Green Weight 
Ave. Dry Weight 
Ratio of Water Con- 
tent to Green Weight 
Ratio of Water Con- 
tent to Dry Weight 
Elberta 
Gr'boro 
Elberta 
Gr'boro 
Elberta 
Gr'boro 
Elberta 
Gr'boro 
Grams 
Grams 
Grams 
Grams 
November 8 
.124 
.121 
•073 
•073 
.41 
.40 
.69 
.65 
December 6 
.144 
.129 
.079 
.073 
.46 
•43 
.84 
.76 
January 7 
.144 
.123 
.082 
.075 
•43 
•38 
.76 
.62 
February 7 
.164 
.128 
.082 
•075 
•49 
.42 
•99 
.71 
March 7 
•327 
.220 
•115 
.092 
•65 
.58 
1.85 
1^37 
March 28 
1.050 
.750 
.205 
.180 
.80 
.76 
4.12 
3^17 
The differences between the values of the two varieties as well as the 
seasonal variations of each are perhaps more clearly seen in figures I and 2, 
representing these same data plotted as ordinates. Time periods are shown 
as abscissas. The seasonal variation in dry weight is small in comparison 
with that of green weight. Increase in green weight is thus seen to be 
apparently due to the water. The ratio graphs (fig. 2) based on dry weight 
show greater seasonal variations and greater differences between the two 
varieties than those based on green weight. 
Ratios of water content to dry weight of fruit buds from individual trees 
are given in table 2 in order to facilitate comparison between trees of the 
two varieties that were similarly situated. The first seven trees had 
received fertilizer treatment about May i of each of the three preceding 
years. The fertilizers used were acid phosphate (16 percent), muriate of 
potash, and nitrate of soda, represented by P, K, and N respectively. 
Whether used singly or in combination, the same amount of each fertilizer 
was applied per tree receiving such treatments. These amounts were: 
