THE JUNE MEETING. 377 



cells of tender plants, — like the young shoots of the grape, — will congeal, and 

 expanding, burst the cells and kill the shoot. If the night is cloudy, so as to 

 prevent radiation, or if there is sufficient current in the air to mix the lower 

 with the higher strata, no frost is produced and no injury sustained. The 

 effect of a side hill, knoll, or ridge, and especially one having rapid and unob- 

 structed drainage to open water, is to produce such a current of air whenever 

 radiation takes place in still, clear weather. As the air near the surface becomes 

 colder, it also becomes heavier than air higher from the ground, and moves 

 gently down the slope, and warmer air from above takes its place, and thus a 

 continual circulation is kept up so long as there is an opportunity for the cold 

 air to drain off. If there is open water at the base of the hillside, then no cold 

 air will accumulate, as the water will warm it again as fast as it reaches its sur- 

 face. If, however, it drains into an inclosed valley, after a time it may fill the 

 valley with cold air and raise the frost line up the hillside to a level with the 

 obstruction. In the region of Grand Traverse the very coldest weather always 

 occurs in clear, still, cold nights, and especially was it so during the past win- 

 ter. On or about the 2'-2d of February was our coldest night. On the level land 

 at the head of Grand Traverse Bay the thermometer was 26° below zero ; ninety 

 feet higher on the side hill it was 2^, and sixty feet higher on the same side 

 hill only 16°. Peach trees were killed at the base of the hill, and at the upper 

 elevation were uninjured, and are now heavily laden with fruit. My conclu- 

 sion is that the peach trees and grape vines should, as far as practical, be set 

 upon a side hill towards open water. 



The President. — I think this calamity of a cold winter will prove a blessing 

 in disguise. We are seeing it already in these reports. 



MUSKEGON". 



Prof. Whitney explained that the cultivated portions around Muskegon 

 Lake were between Bear Lake on the north and Black Lake on the south. On 

 the peninsula between Bear Lake and Muskegon Lake Mr. Moulton has a 

 very heavy crop of grapes. Around Muskegon many peach trees are killed. 

 On both sides of Black Lake there is an extensive cultivation of fruit and 

 grapes. All the orchards will bear more or less of peaches. Mr. Rood thought 

 his crop would be a third larger than two years ago. At the head of the lake 

 a young peach orchard is bearing, while an old one is injured, although con- 

 siderably neglected. The strawberry crop has been very fine. Cherries are all 

 full. I have lost one of my best trees. The leaves turned yellow and died. 

 The Gov. Wood variety, Mr. Wilde, of Coopersville, says, is subject to this, 

 but that it could be avoided by requiring the tree to commence low to the 

 ground. The apple trees show a heavier crop than I ever saw, and more than 

 ever free from indications of the codling moth. The lowest point of the ther- 

 mometer was at 11 o'clock one day ; was IS*^ below zero, and a stiff wind was 

 blowing. The thermometer went down and the wind went down with it. 



SPRING LAKE. 



Mr. Waters. — We are not largely engaged in fruit, except peaches, in Spring 

 Lake. Strawberries were injured ; Raspberries a very large crop; Apples and 

 Fears full. The Kentish or Richmond cherries are very full. Of other vari- 

 eties I cannot say much. When at Lansing, I reported our buds all right, but 

 January 29th the thermometer went down to 19° below zero, and on that day 

 our peach trees must have been injured. Were I called upon one month ago, I 

 should have made a very favorable report ; the trees were in full blossom, and 



