98 ' ANNUAL REPOJBT 



Mr. Pearce. I found the Duchess, Whitney and many other 

 varieties that appeared to be in perfect condition. 



Mr. Brand. I suppose they were six or seven years old. 



Mr. Smith. Some were eight years okl. 



Mr. Pearce. I have observed the same thing at Montevideo, 

 in the Western part of the State, and have been astonished to- 

 find the Haas standing well. My experience is that the higher 

 the elevation the better the trees stand. I claim it is not the 

 cold weather that kills our trees and could prove it if I had time. 

 It is the peculiar condition of the sap in the fall. I have known 

 trees to blossom in the fall and that was the condition year be- 

 fore last. I said then the trees were dead and there would ^be a 

 sharp and woeful howl in the spring; the trees were killed in 

 December. It is not the cold weather that caused the loss but 

 the peculiar condition of the sap. The same thing occurred in 

 Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and throughout the Northwest. If I 

 was going to set an orchard I would select the highest elevation. 



Prof. Maginnis. In confirmation of what Mr. Pearce has said 

 in favor of high elevations I would say that there is an orchard 

 near Sparta, in the Trempeleau valley, on limestone soil where 

 there are trees that have been in bearing for years, of varieties 

 that have not been grown in any other part of Wisconsin, ex- 

 cept along the lake shore. I received this information while at- 

 tending the farmers' institutes, and the reasons assigned were 

 substantially those given by Mr. Pearce. 



Mr. Harris. I have seen the trees on the place spoken of and 

 know they are raising trees that I cannot touch, 



Mr. Dartt. Mr. President, the fact that those trees are 

 growing on that high ground indicates that it was a favorable 

 locality; still they may get to bearing size and then die. There 

 may be low lands in the vicinity, which might be a decided 

 advantage. An elevated plateau, or high level land, is rather 

 against the success of trees, depending on the elevation. If 

 the highest land was the best location for trees you might keep 

 on till you reach the line of snow on the mountains; elevation is 

 good if you don't elevate too much. 



Now, the gentleman says that it is not cold that kills; perhaps 

 I would be the proper one to dispute it. [Laughter.] If it was 

 not the cold it seems to me they would not be found dead after 

 we have had an extremely hard winter. You notice that two or 

 three years ago trees down as far as St. Louis were killed out 

 seriously and they reported a cold wave down there when the^ 



