46 
AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
unwhitened trees. The w r hitened trees remained in bloom longer than those* 
that were not whitened and set more fruit. 
During 1896-7 the same and also additional trees were whitened. The same 
marked effect was noted in retarding the swelling of the whitened buds dur- 
ing warm days in winter. The winter was mild and there were very few 
peach buds killed. The following table shows the comparative time of 
blossoming of whitened and urn whitened peaches: 
Variety. 
Color. 
First flower. 
Full bloom. 
Last flower. 
Heath Cling 
j Whitened 
April ia 
April 21 .... 
April 29* 
“ 27 . 
( Not whitened . . 
“ 11 
“ 18.... 
onderful 
( Whitened 
“ 14 
“ 22.... 
“ 29* 
( Not whitened . . 
“ 11 
“ 18... 
“ 25 
j Whitened 
“ 13 
“ 29* 
Kivers Hiarly 
| Not whitened . . 
“ 9 
“ 21.... 
“ 27 
Silver Medal 
j Whitened 
“ 13 
“ 18.... 
“ 28 
1 Not whitened . . 
“ 7 
“ 13.... 
“ 21 
*On April 29 a hailstorm took off the remaining flowers, so this date does not 
correctly represent the date upon which the flowers would have shed normally. 
It will be observed that whitened trees blossomed from two to six days 
later than those which were not whitened. 
During the winter of 1898-9 twigs were cut from various varieties of peaches 
and forced into growth, from time to time, In vases of water in the green- 
houses. One-half the twigs of each variety were whitened and one-half were 
left natural. In all cases the buds of the unwhitened twigs began to swell 
and grow r perceptibly, before the whitened ones did, and a similar difference 
was noticed in their time of blossoming. There was a much greater differ- 
ence between the time of blossoming of whitened and unwhitened twigs 
taken early in the winter than between those taken late in the winter. 
There was also a greater difference in the number of days between their blos- 
soming in a cool house than when kept in a warm house. 
In order to measure the difference in temperature between whitened and 
unwhitened buds some very slender thermometers were made and tested for 
accuracy, for measuring the temperature of the twigs. Twigs of the past 
summer’s growth and bearing fruit buds were cut off at points where their 
diameter was uniform and tunneled for about four inches of their, length. 
The thermometers were Inserted in these tunnels and the twigs were tied so 
they would stand vertically, in order to receive the suiTs rays at the same 
angle. One of these twigs was whitened and the other left natural. It was 
found that during sunny weather the natural twig registered a higher tem- 
perature than the whitened one. The following table shows the comparative 
temperature of the whitened and natural twigs as compared with the atmos- 
pheric temperature as revealed by hourly readings on March 4, 1898: 
