The Savannah Tribune

The devastation that was spread among the peach trees by the severity of last winter makes the subject of winter protection of peculiar interest.

Peach buds are not altogether the tender things that they are popularly regarded, for they will sometimes stand even a twenty-degrees below zero temperature. But they will not always or generally do so. The swelling of the buds in winter does not depend at all upon root action, for the buds may swell on a warm winter day, though the roots are frozen. It has been found that whitewashing the trees will prevent the absorption of heat on warm days and hinder the swelling of the buds. It is, therefore, a protection, although on general principles whitewashing trees is hardly to be recommended. It is something like stopping up the pores of the human skin, and while the assurance of a fruit crop may sometimes justify measures which as a rule are not to be recommended, every peach grower must decide as to the advisability of adopting this or any other means of protection. Covering the trees with board sheds has proved to be a protection to the buds, but trees that have been protected in this way bloomed later and remained longer in bloom. Still the final results--the setting and maturing of the fruit--were satisfactory. This latter means of protection, however, would be too expensive to consider.

The special danger to the buds comes from sudden changes. A gradual change is not nearly so severe as one that comes suddenly, and it is often the case that a sudden thawing is much more damaging than a sudden freezing. It is noticeable, too, that during periods of low temperature buds and twigs may be injured by very bright sunlight. It is claimed--though we never noticed it--that varieties that have purple twigs absorb heat more readily than green twig varieties. It is not possible to say what the exact conditions must be to insure the destruction of buds, for while, as we have already said, twenty degrees below will sometimes not affect them, at other times five degrees below will. Mulching the trees does no good, for we have already noticed that the buds swell entirely independent of the action of the roots. That is a general principle that may be demonstrated by drawing a grape branch through a hole into a warm room, while the roots are frozen. The branch will make considerable growth. The principle is also shown by the leafing out of certain varieties of trees that have been cut in winter. It is time thrown away, therefore, to attempt to keep the ground frozen, and the only practical way of protecting the trees is to whitewash them. This is done by spraying the whole tree. It is fair to say, in view of what we have said about whitewashing trees, that whenever whitewash has been applied to peach trees, within our knowledge, no damage, but great good, has resulted.--Agricultural Epitomist.