Better Peaches Are Coming

by LEON HAVIS, J. H. WEINBERGER, and C. O. HESSE

THE ELBERTA has long been the standard of comparison in peaches, like sterling in silver. Elberta yields bountifully, looks attractive, has a free stone, and flourishes in different climates. It is not perfect, however, and for more than a decade we have been breeding new peaches to get one that will surpass Elberta in resistance to several diseases, hardiness of tree and flower bud, and value for canning, freezing, and eating fresh. Our results indicate that many of the characters lacking in the Elberta can be bred into new varieties—but perhaps not all of them into one variety. In the future the grower, the processor, and the consumer will be able to a greater degree than ever before to select varieties to suit his requirements.

Peach growing As an industry should not be based largely on one variety such as Elberta, but should be able to choose from a number of varieties suited to different seasons of ripening, different requirements of hardiness, and different eating, canning, or freezing requirements. Varieties are needed that resist diseases prevalent in certain localities.

Basic objectives in experiments with peach varieties have been to increase the size of fruit and the average yield. More and more there is a demand for higher colored fruit. A lengthening of the peach season with productive freestone varieties is desirable. A lengthening of the canning-cling season has been an important objective in California. Never before has there been so much emphasis on improvement in peach flavor for canning, freezing, and preserving as there is at present. Varieties that have especially high quality for these purposes are being bred.

In the central and southern regions, hardiness to spring frost is a special problem. In Massachusetts, New York, and Michigan, hardiness of tree and flower bud is of prime importance. In regions such as southern California, Texas, and Georgia, a tree with a low winter-chilling requirement to break the rest period of buds is essential for dependable production. Shipping quality is first in importance in some regions that are far from markets, but in other places the local markets do not require so firm a fruit. Freestones are preferred throughout the season for eating fresh and for home canning. Perhaps that will always be true.

Consumers now prefer varieties that have a bright red skin, although there is no actual relationship between the amount of red skin color and dessert quality. Yellow-fleshed peaches are in greater demand generally than white ones. This choice of the highly colored, yellow-fleshed peach may change sometime, however, and peach breeders keep in mind the possible and most likely requirements 25 years from now.