The peaches of New York

by U. P. Hedrick

CLIMATE

When are plant and climate truly congenial? Perhaps the best test is the degree to which the plant spontaneously accommodates itself to all climatic conditions. Thus, the peach is ideally suited to climates in which it maintains itself without the aid of man. The peach is perfectly at home, then, in America only where it runs wild,—in parts of the South. In the North, East and the far West, peaches seldom grow spontaneously; and the cold of winter, the frosts of spring and the drouths of summer, in these regions, yearly remind us that notwithstanding the generations the tree has been grown in America it is still a stranger in a foreign country—an exotic from warm and sunlit Mid-Asia. Yet with a little help from man the peach takes kindly to many climates in which it does not grow spontaneously. Under what climatic conditions does the peach grow spontaneously? And under what climatic conditions can the peach be grown with the aid of man as a commercial success? These questions can be best answered by discussing the two constituents of climate, temperature and rainfall, in relation to the peach.

Of the several phases of temperature only extremes in cold are determinants in peach-growing in New York. The peach stands for all that is tender and effeminate in a fruit-tree and fares so ill in winter's cold that the limits of peach-culture are set in all northern states by the winter climate. The undomesticated peach is at the mercy of the winter wherever the temperature falls below zero and seldom grows spontaneously where the mercury drops even to this point. By selecting hardy varieties and following careful cultural methods, however, peaches may be grown profitably in climates where it is occasionally as cold as ten degrees below zero. An isothermal line passing through points in New York where the thermometer marks -10° in an occasional winter sets the limits of peach-growing in New York. The red line in the accompanying map shows the territory in which peach-growing is reasonably safe in New York while the green line shows the outside limits of the industry as determined by cold.

Even in the favored peach-regions of New York, winter-injury is a matter of vital importance to the peach-industry and growers seek means to avoid or check it. The problem is not an insurmountable one, for here and there are orchards and varieties which suffer little injury though possibly adjoining others in which trees or buds are wholly or partially killed. There must be reasons for the injury in the one and not in the other. These, the New York Agricultural Experiment Station made an attempt to discover a few years ago in letters addressed to the peach-growers of the State.[255] From the information received, and that gained by observation, we may lay down the following propositions regarding hardiness of the peach in New York.

First.—The soil has much influence on hardiness. The peach must have a warm, dry soil to secure the hardiness inherent in the species. Only in such a soil can trees make a strong, firm, well-matured growth, which is conducive to hardiness. Bottom-heat seems especially necessary to secure a growth that will withstand cold and for this reason gravelly and stony soils, since they hold heat well, make good peach-lands. So, too, a gravelly subsoil seems to provide the proper root-environment for the peach-tree and if this be present it matters little, so far as hardiness is concerned, whether it be overlaid with sand, gravel, loam, a light clay or combinations of these.

MAP OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

Second.—The amount of moisture in the soil in the winter affects the hardiness of the peach. Either extreme of moisture, excessive wetness or excessive dryness, gives favorable conditions for winter-killing. A wet soil freezes deeply and trees standing in it are sappy throughout the winter. Cold, alternating with warm weather, or accompanied with dry winds, causes excessive evaporation from trees and if the soil be so dry as not to furnish moisture to replace the water evaporated, winter-injury ensues. When twigs and buds shrivel in winter, whether from lack of water or lack of maturity, winter-injury almost invariably follows.

Third.—Fertilizers may have a helpful or a harmful effect as regards hardiness of tree. When fertilizers cause a heavy, rank, soft growth, they undoubtedly make the trees more susceptible to winter-injury. On the other hand, trees suffer as much or more from cold if underfed than if overfed. Nothing is more certain than that vigorous growth in early summer can be made of great service in counteracting cold and that half-starved trees, or those which have been allowed to bear too heavily, suffer most from freezing.

Fourth.—Cover-crops protect trees from cold. Case after case can be cited of orchards with cover-crops surviving a cold winter when nearby orchards without the muffler of vegetation, leaves and snow were killed. Possibly the cover-crop is the most effective treatment of the peach-orchard to avoid winter-killing, acting as a cover to protect the roots from cold, causing the trees to ripen their wood quickly and thoroughly and assisting in regulating the supply of moisture.

Fifth.—Low-headed trees suffer less in both trunks and branches from winter-injury than high-headed trees. Buds, however, often survive on the higher branches and not on the lower ones. The low-headed trees are less injured probably because the wood loses less moisture by the evaporation from the effects of winds than do high-headed trees; because the trunk at least is better protected from the sun and hence suffers less from sunscald, one of the effects of freezing and thawing; and because, for some reason or other, low-headed trees seem to be more vigorous than high-headed trees.

Sixth.—Wind-breaks furnish small protection against cold to either trees or buds. The value of a wind-break depends largely upon the topography of the land. A wind-break so planted as wholly to check currents of air is detrimental so far as cold is concerned; so planted as to deflect the current of air they may become of value in keeping off frosts. More often than not, however, they seriously check atmospheric drainage and the damage by frost is greater.

Seventh.—Young peach-trees suffer more than old trees, probably because the young trees do not mature their wood as well as the older ones. There are, however, many exceptions to the statement that young trees are less hardy to cold than old ones. Old trees are often forced to produce large quantities of new wood susceptible to winter-killing, while, on the other hand, the superabundant growth of young trees can be kept down by orchard-treatment. Old trees possessing low vitality are less hardy than vigorous, young trees. Thus, trees suffering from the ravages of borers, leaf-curl or other fungus troubles suffer most from cold. While young trees are more susceptible to freezing than old ones, yet they are much more likely to recover, if recovery be possible, and their return to a normal condition is more rapid.

Eighth.—What degree of cold will kill peach-trees? Twenty degrees below zero under the best of conditions kills the peach. Depending upon the condition in which the trees begin the winter, however, the trees may be killed by any temperature between zero and -20°. The following are the conditions unfavorable to withstanding cold, in about the order of importance: Immaturity of wood; lack of protection of roots by snow or cover-crop; poor drainage; overbearing in the preceding year; lack of vitality from ravages of insects, or fungi or from infertility of soil; susceptibility of variety to cold.

Ninth.—What degree of cold will kill peach-buds? Much depends upon the condition of the buds. Fifteen degrees below zero seems to be the limit that peach-buds can stand even when all conditions are favorable. The chief factors influencing tenderness of buds are maturity of buds, variety, and the time at which buds finish their resting period.

Tenth.—Small-growing varieties with compact heads are hardier than the free-growing sorts with large heads. The following varieties are named as compact in growth and hence hardier than the average: Chili, Crosby, Gold Drop, Barnard, Kalamazoo, Triumph, Wager and Fitzgerald.

Eleventh.—In New York the varieties Crosby, Chili, Stevens, Gold Drop and Elberta are named as most hardy in wood. As most tender in wood Early Crawford, Late Crawford, Chairs, St. John and Niagara are named. Crosby, Chili, Triumph, Gold Drop, Stevens and Kalamazoo are most hardy in bud. Early Crawford, Late Crawford, Chairs, Reeves and Elberta are most tender in bud.

The average date at which the last killing frost occurs in the spring also determines the limit in latitude or altitude at which the peach can be grown. Even in the favored peach-regions of New York, records bring out the fact that killing frosts must be expected occasionally to destroy the peach-crop and there are few years indeed in which frost does not take heavy toll in the State as a whole. In the twenty-five year period beginning with 1881 and ending with 1905, the peach-crop was destroyed or seriously injured over a large part of New York in thirteen seasons.[256] Little or nothing is done in New York to protect the peach from frosts. Truth is, not much can be done. Whitewashing trees delays blooming time and in some seasons might prevent injury from late frosts but it is too uncertain and too costly to be worth putting in practice. Wind-breaks as often favor the frost as the tree. Smudging is too expensive for the extensive system of peach-orcharding practiced in the East. Failure due to frost may be expected, then, when the commonly recognized precautions in selecting frost-proof sites are not recognized.

The limits of peach-culture in New York are also determined by early fall frosts and by the length of the growing season, though both are less important than the winter-climate and late frosts in the spring. The peach-grower must be able to synchronize three of these phases of climate, spring frosts, fall frosts and length of summer season, with the blooming and ripening of peaches,—to do which he must have weather data and the dates of blooming and ripening of varieties of peaches. The necessary data as to the average dates of spring and fall frosts and the length of the growing season can be obtained from the nearest local weather bureau and in the accompanying table the blooming and ripening seasons of 181 varieties of peaches grown at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station are given for the years 1910 to 1914. Blooming and ripening dates vary in the several peach-regions in the State so that to make use of the data from this Station consideration must be given to the latitude, altitude and local environment of the peach-orchard.

The latitude of the Smith Astronomical Observatory, a quarter of a mile from the Station orchards, is 42° 52' 46.2"; the altitude of the orchards is from five hundred to five hundred and twenty-five feet above the sea level. The soil is a loamy but rather cold clay; the orchards lie about a mile west of Seneca Lake, a body of water forty miles in length and from one to three and one-half miles in width and more than six hundred feet deep. The lake has frozen over but a few times since the region was settled, over a hundred years ago, and has a very beneficial influence on the adjacent country in lessening the cold of winter and the heat of summer and in preventing early blooming.

The blooming period is that of full bloom. The data were taken from trees grown under normal conditions as to pruning, distance apart, and as to all other factors which might influence the blooming period. There is a variation of several days between the time of full bloom of the different varieties of peaches. These differences can be utilized in selecting sorts to avoid injury from frost.

Blooming Periods and Season of Ripening of Peach-Varieties
	Blooming period					Season of ripening
	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late
Abundance		*						*
Admiral Dewey			*				*
Ailsworth			*						*
Albright Cling			*					*
Alexander		*				*
Alton		*						*
Amelia			*					*
Ameliaberta				*					*
Arkansas			*				*
Arp			*				*
Athens			*						*
Augbert			*						*
Banner				*					*
Barber			*					*
Beatrice			*				*
Belle		*						*
Blooming Periods and Season of Ripening of Peach-Varieties—Continued
	Blooming period					Season of ripening
	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late
Berenice			*					*
Bilyeu		*								*
Bishop			*					*
Blood Cling			*							*
Blood Leaf			*							*
Bokhara			*					*
Bonanza			*							*
Brandywine			*						*
Bray Rareripe			*							*
Brigdon			*					*
Briggs			*				*
Burke			*					*
Butler Late		*							*
Buttram			*						*
Canada			*			*
Capps			*					*
Captain Ede					*			*
Carman			*				*
Champion			*					*
Chairs				*				*
Chili			*						*
Chinese Cling			*						*
Chinese Free		*						*
Christiana			*						*
Clarissa			*						*
Clifton Park		*					*
Conkling				*				*
Connecticut			*					*
Connet			*				*
Coolidge			*					*
Crosby			*						*
Crothers		*							*
Davidson		*					*
Delaware			*					*
Denton		*						*
Dr. Burton			*					*
Dulce				*						*
Early Charlotte			*					*
Early Crawford			*					*
Early Michigan		*						*
Early York					*			*
Edgemont			*					*
Elberta			*					*
Emma			*					*
Engle			*					*
Eureka		*						*
Family Favorite		*						*
Fitzgerald			*					*
Ford Late		*							*
Blooming Periods and Season of Ripening of Peach-Varieties—Continued
	Blooming period					Season of ripening
	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late
Foster			*					*
Fox				*					*
Frances				*					*
Frederica			*						*
Geary			*							*
General Lee			*					*
George IV			*					*
Gold Drop		*							*
Gold Dust			*						*
Gold Mine			*						*
Gordon				*						*
Governor Garland			*					*
Governor Hogg			*				*
Greensboro		*					*
Guinn			*					*
Hale Early			*				*
Heath Cling			*							*
Heath Free			*						*
Hiley			*					*
Honest John			*					*
Horton River		*						*
Hynds Yellow			*					*
Hynes			*				*
Illinois			*					*
Ingold				*				*
Iron Mountain				*						*
Jackson				*				*
Jennie Worthen			*					*
Jennings			*					*
Kalamazoo			*						*
Klondike			*						*
Lamont			*						*
Large York			*					*
Late Crawford			*						*
Late Elberta			*					*
Late Rareripe			*						*
Levy			*							*
Lodge		*						*
Lola		*						*
Lord Palmerston		*							*
Lorentz			*							*
McCollister			*					*
McKay Late			*							*
Mamie Ross		*						*
Markham			*					*
Mathews			*						*
May Lee			*				*
Maule Early			*				*
Millhiser			*							*
Blooming Periods and Season of Ripening of Peach-Varieties—Continued
	Blooming period					Season of ripening
	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late
Miner Wonder			*						*
Moore Favorite				*					*
Morris White			*						*
Mountain Rose			*					*
Munson Free			*						*
Niagra			*					*
Northboro		*						*
Oldmixon Cling			*						*
Oldmixon Free			*						*
Opulent			*					*
Oriole			*						*
Orleans				*				*
Parsons Early			*					*
Pearce Yellow			*					*
Pearson	*							*
Perfection			*						*
Philip Horton					*					*
Picquet			*							*
Potter				*				*
Prolific		*						*
Ray			*					*
Red Bird			*				*
Red Bird Cling			*				*
Red Cheek Melocoton			*					*
Reeves				*				*
Rivers		*					*
Rudings Late			*					*
Russell		*						*
St. John			*				*
Salwey			*							*
Shumaker		*				*
Shipley Late			*						*
Simmons					*					*
Slappey					*				*
Smock			*							*
Sneed			*			*
Steadly				*						*
Strout		*				*
Stump			*						*
Summer Snow			*						*
Surpasse			*					*
Surprise			*					*
Susquehanna			*					*
Switzerland			*						*
Thurber			*					*
Tiebout			*						*
Tilloston				*				*
Triumph		*					*
Troth			*							*
Blooming Periods and Season of Ripening of Peach-Varieties—Continued
	Blooming period					Season of ripening
	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late	Very early	Early	Mid- season	Late	Very late
Victor		*				*
Waddell			*					*
Wager			*					*
Walker			*						*
Ward			*						*
Waterloo			*			*
Weaver			*							*
Wheatland				*				*
Wilkins			*						*
Willard			*					*
Willett			*						*
Williams			*							*
Wonderful				*						*
Worlds Fair				*		*
Worrell				*					*
Yellow Rareripe			*					*
Yellow Swan				*			*

The peach seldom suffers from hot weather in New York. The fruit is sometimes injured in the full blaze of the sun but the foliage usually furnishes ample protection against such injury. On the other hand, for a finely finished product the peach must have an unclouded sun and ample air, these conditions giving high color and full flavor.

The peach requires less moisture than most other fruits—its original home was on the desert's edge in Asia. In New York the rainfall is usually quite sufficient in all peach-regions for this crop, the exception being, possibly, in the southern part of the Central Lakes region, where, in the lands adapted to the peach, the soil is often thin and drought, season after season, lays heavily on the land. The peach in New York more often suffers from too much rain than too little. Cold, wet weather in blooming time is the fruit-grower's vernal bane in this State and rain not infrequently prevents a set of peaches even in localities where the spring rainfall is light. Monthly and seasonal "means" of precipitation, especially of the month of May, are of considerable importance in determining the desirability of a locality for peaches.

There are several other phases of climate usually of but local application which sometimes become of vital importance to the peach-grower and must receive attention in selecting an orchard-site. The direction, force and frequency of prevailing winds during the blooming and ripening periods; the liability to hail storms; the amount of cloudiness in the summer months; the nature and degree of seasonal variations; the degree of humidity of the atmosphere as related to fungus diseases, especially the dreaded brown-rot; and the frequency of drouths are all problems to be solved before planting the peach.