THE FARMER’S GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 451 
are that those melons will have to be marketed. With new potatoes the last 
of June, a succession of sweet corn and melons from August to November, 
the farmer has a living that his city cousins may well envy him. 
As we look upon a majority of the farmers in our state we find but 
little attention given to the orchard. Not but that the fruit tree agent has 
been extensively patronized enough so as to perhaps give our state an abun- 
dance of fruit. I had an orchard planted on my farm twenty years ago, 
consisting of a large variety of apples, knowing no difference in varieties as 
to hardiness. The Duchess and Wealthy commence bearing the third year 
after planting, and they (with the exception of one year) have grown us a 
fine crop of apples every year since, and today every tree of those two. 
varieties that were planted then are living and are grand and noble trees. 
As to all the other varieties, suffice to say were I to plant another orchard 
of apple trees I would allow but two varieties of apples to be planted in it. 
Some may say, have a few winter apples growing. I want to tell you that 
one tree of the Duchess or Wealthy will give you more winter apples than 
any six winter apple trees I have seen in Dakota, with more than six times. 
the satisfaction. 
As to plums and cherries I have had but very little experience. The 
birds harvest the cherries for me each year. 
But in sight of my place is oné of the best cherry orchards I have ever 
seen in any state, owned by Mr. Kaucher. He planted an abundance of mul- 
berries, which the birds eat in preference to the cherries. 
A variety of plums should be planted on every farm, there can be no 
discount on them. 
PROTECTION OF SMALL FRUITS FROM FROST. 
PROF. J. WARREN SMITH. 
(Read at June meeting of the Columbus, O., Horticultural Society.) 
The surface of the earth and the objects upon it are warmed up rapidly 
during the day time, in bright, sunshiny weather, but at night the heat is 
radiated just as rapidly into space, until the earth is cooler than the sur- 
rounding air. The air then in contact with the earth cools by conduction, 
and, as the air is a poor conductor, the cool strata of air is very thin and lies 
close to the earth if the air be calm and still. The cooled air in lowlands 
and valleys lies still and gets colder and colder. But on hillsides, being 
heavier as it cools, it slides slowly down into the valleys, increasing the area 
of cold air there, and lifting up the overlying warmer body of air, which 
in turn flows in horizontally to take the place of the colder air on the hill- 
sides which has descended. This movement of the air accounts for the 
great difference in damage by frost on different fields. The successful 
grower of fruits and vegetables that are liable to damage by frosts must 
have this movement of the air in mind on clear, still, frosty nights. Frosts 
are not apt to occur when the air has considerable motion, as it is con- 
tinually mixed, and the warm air is being continually brought in contact 
with the cooling ground. Neither do we fear a frost when it is cloudy, as 
the clouds form a curtain to prevent or check the free radiation of heat 
from the ground. Local bodies of water, by keeping the air more nearly 
saturated with water and thus tending to raise the dew point above the point 
of frost formation, should be taken into account in locating tender or early 
