120 STATE iPOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



On the south and cast, at the foot of the elevation, there is a broad belt, or 

 stretch of low land, which gradually rises toward the east, — not abrupt enough 

 anywhere to obstruct the free jiassage of vjind currents which might in cold 

 weather find here a passage or channel. The conformation of this intervale 

 land is such that the cold air which would fall in here from its specific grav- 

 ity is not liable to stagnate, but is easily and naturally drained off to the east 

 or south. This peculiar formation prevents any body of very cold air from 

 enveloping the orchards on the high ground. Wherever such a conformation 

 of surface is found, the growing of fine fruit may be undertaken with a good 

 assurance of success, so far as local climate is concerned. 



It is believed that the more tender kinds of fruit should never be planted on 

 the sides of a bluff or hill surrounding a lake, marsh, or gulch, where there is 

 not a free outlet in at least two directions for the air to drain off readily. 

 Those who have planted such fruits on the sides of elevations enclosing en- 

 tirely a low plat of ground so that the air is hemmed in and there is no 

 escape, are often disappointed in their expectations of a fine crop of fruit, we 

 doubt not. The cold air accumulates and fills the basin, and the fruit-germs 

 are for a long time immersed in it, till their vitality is destroyed. Tender 

 fruit-germs cannot endure the constant presence of a cold, damp atmosphere 

 any better than the roots of the trees or vines can stand the presence of sur- 

 plus water. 



THE OKCHARDS. 



The orchards of peach, pear, and quince at Mr. Engle's were in full bearing. 

 The work of gathering and boxing the fruit was in active progress among the 

 Early Crawfords. The soil of these hills is a gravelly loam in which there is a 

 good percentage of clay, so that we may term it a gravelly clay loam, rather 

 than a gravelly sandy loam. It is a soil well adapted to the peach and the 

 vine. 



We first made an examination of a peach orchard of Early Crawfords and 

 Barnards, — 200 trees twelve years old. The trees branched at about four feet 

 from the ground. They are uniform in size, and there has apparently been but 

 few deaths since the orchard was planted. There were no signs of borer, no 

 ruptured bark, no dead branches. The trees are healthy and are ripening a 

 very full crop of peaches, which are very uniform as to size, and large enough. 

 Mr. Engle practices cutting back about one-third of the last year's growth. He 

 does this in February in warm weather, and for two reasons: it keeps the tops 

 within bounds, and it saves thinning the fruit to a certain extent, — saving about 

 one man's time in thinning. The health and vigor of this orchard, together 

 with the heavy crop of fruit at the age of twelve years, evince the soundness of 

 the treatment it receives. The other peach orchards, both of Hill's Chili and 

 late Crawford, were in an equally healthy condition, and were carrying as much 

 fruit as they could ripen w^ell. The Barnards we judged would outbear the 

 Crawfords. The committee were well pleased with everything in and about 

 these peach orchards. 



The pear orchard is located south of the twelve-year-old peach orchard, and 

 embraces a large number of the popular kinds. But the old mystery is on 

 many of them — blight! Fine, thrifty trees are poisoned by its fatal breath ; 

 yet there are some which escape. Bartlett is the most profitable ; trees healthy 

 and bear w^ell. Beurre d'Aujou healthy, — bears good crops of the finest fruit. 

 Doyenne Boussock nearly as good, but not quite so regular in bearing. Beurre 



