New Yellow Freestones Changing Peach Season in East Texas

Abstract

The principal commercial acreage of peaches in central East Texas consists of the varieties Hiley and Elberta. The Hiley, which is adapted to a fairly mild climate, is a heavy producer of a low quality white freestone fruit that colors early enough to ship the last of June. The Elberta closely follows the Hiley season. The later variety usually furnishes a portion of the local requirements for canning and preserving. The majority of the crop from most commercial plantings is shipped to northern markets. The extensive use of these two varieties limits the main harvesting season of this section to the period of late June through July. As a result, fresh peaches are available on local markets for only limited period of time. It also brings about the problem of an insufficient supply of yellow freestone fruit in some seasons, because of poor set of fruit, drouth, hail, and other conditions that reduce the Elberta crop.