36 ANNUAL REPORT. 
Mr. Pearce. I agree with the Secretary, and think if in many 
cases there were less lime, it would be better. The sap is taken 
up by the roots in a crude state, and too much lime would hinder 
the flow of the sap. 
Mr. Storrs. Those trees around which I put much lime stand 
the winter best, and are thriftier than those around which I put 
none. I have also used wood ashes. Have read in a scientific 
paper that about twenty-five per cent. of the apple tree wood is 
lime. If this statement is true, then trees need lime for food. 
Mr. Fish. The old adage says, ‘‘ Lime enriches the father but 
impoverishes the son.’’ The latent virtues of very poor soil may 
be brought out by lime, but the lime is not the food of the tree. 
Mr. Fuller. Would like to ask Mr. Storrs whether he put his 
ashes and lime around the same kind of tree? 
Mr. Storrs. No. 
The Secretary. Mr. Fish is right. The lime produces its 
effects through some means other than the direct supply of food. 
We can easily see that a tree cannot contain twenty-five per cent. 
of lime. So much lime would make the wood of the apple tree 
brittle. Five to six per cent of the wood, perhaps is ash. Of this 
twenty-five per cent. may be lime, but this would make the lime 
only about 14 per cent. of the entire wood. 
Mr. Brimhall. As to how long it takes to find out what kind 
of trees will succeed on certain soils, much depends on the season- 
One severe winter, with the trees not mulched, would tell the. 
story. The crab varieties grow on most any kind of soil, Heavy 
soil is the standard requisite. 
Mr. Eldridge. Is mulching preventive of top-killing ? 
Mr. Brimhall. 1 think not. 
A Member. <A proper choice of soil is. 
Mr. Eldridge. The ground on my farm is full of lime, and : 
persons have remarked that my orchard is as healthy a one as they 
ever saw. 
Theory of Winter-killing. 
Mr. Dart. Think extreme freezing does not kill as much as 
thawing. Ifthe frost is drawn out gradually it is much better 
for the trees than when it is suddenly drawn out. It is more 
suddenly drawn out on southern slopes. A high land exposed to 
the north, with a good circulation of air, will prevent sudden 
thawing. Trees are many times killed just at the snow-line, 
while the top and roots are good. The snow reflects the heat 
of the sun against the tree at the snow-line and thaws the tree 
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