188 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. 



that he had not known an actual case of freezing and bursting the 

 bark. We had a cold wave when the trees were in leaf and the 

 trees were killed. The bark was loosened at the collar. I found 

 many trees in that condition. When it is entirely lifted from the 

 tree they usually die. In Arkansas it was worse than with us. 



Prof. Burrill — I was hesitating as to whether ice could actually be 

 found. 



Mr. Munson — By examination I found the ice. We have a weed 

 which shows this very well. Sometimes curled ice crystals three 

 inches long come out of it. 



Dr. Gregory, of Arkansas — This is a very interesting paper to me. 

 It is very scientific. I appreciate it. Reference has been made to 

 the cold snap of '81. At our State meeting I was on the committee 

 to report the damage done by that cold wave. My observation was 

 that, contrary to the suggestion that the heart freezes first, it freezes 

 outside first. Below the snow belt the tree was protected ; above, 

 the tree was killed and the bark sloughed off. The southwest side 

 was damaged worse, which is in keeping with what Prof. Burrill 

 states. Our report was that seventy-five per cent, of the fruit trees 

 had suffered so as to produce death sooner or later. I lost about 

 1,200 bearing trees in one belt in my orchard. I have about sixty 

 acres, and in that belt not one escaped, while outside of it all es- 

 caped. The difference was not in varieties. There is, perhaps, a 

 little difference in the soil. The mercury was from eight to ten be- 

 low zero. When the freezing commenced the trees were in leaf 

 and were opening out in bloom. I do not see how we are to avoid 

 these injuries. 



Mr. Pierce, of Minnesota — The rupturing of the bark, both in 

 spring and fall, is the only fear I have of trees dying. A perfectly 

 ripened tree will stand thirty or forty degrees below zero. When 

 my trees were killed it was in June. They were in full leaf and 

 perfectly healthy. They withered before twelve o'clock. The rup- 

 ture of the bark does not occur higher than about a foot with us. 

 (Some one remarked he had seen it six feet high.) We use build- 

 ing paper, putting it around the trees before freezing in the fall. 

 Prof. Burrill sustains my views in regard to trees perfectly ripe 

 .standing the cold. One word in regard to digging a tree before it 



