STA.TB HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 199 



after the first crop of apples drops that have been stung, the 

 worm will crawl up and where they touch the tree they find a 

 harbor and the insect is protected and the birds cannot get at 

 them. It would be well to examine them and to kill all the 

 worms you may find. 



Mr. Smith. Is not a band of hay a good protector? 



Mr. Harris. If you will destroy it. 



Mr. Smith, And again, wouldn't it work well to have the 

 chickens run through the orchard and especially about the time 

 the first crop is harvested! 



Gen. Le Due. I have relied upon chickens to defend my plums 

 and they did it thoroughly this year. I put a brood of chickens 

 under the tree and I had a fine crop of plums. I would like to 

 inquire of Mrs. Underwond as to her theory about the shading 

 of trees; when do you put around your screen and how long do 

 you keep it there"? Do you think the sun injures the tree in 

 mid- winter, or when the sap starts in the spring? 



Mrs. Underwood. I cannot tell much as to the results as I 

 only put the shield on this winter. My theory is that the sun 

 scalds the burk of the tree during the winter. I think it is 

 mainly when we have these sudden changes during the warm, 

 thawing spells. 



Mr. Underwood. I think that has been canvassed in our 

 society almost every winter. We have illustrations of it in the 

 forests. You have noticed, perhaps, that when you go outside 

 the house, right under the porch, where the wind could not get 

 to it and the sun was shining, the snow was melting. I have 

 seen it but I could not say positively how cold it was but I know 

 it was very cold, and I think the uneven temperature, caused by 

 the direct rays of the sun, just at the warmest time of the day, 

 is undoubtedly the cause of this injury which is done on that 

 side of the tree. 



Gen. Le Due. I could understand how that could be the case 

 if there was any sap in circulation. 



Mr. Underwood. I built a fire one time in the spring of the 

 year near to an oak tree. I was not thinking of injuring the 

 body of the tree, but thought I would try and not injure the top 

 of the tree. It was a thrifty, live young oak, as thrifty as I have 

 ever seen, and you will imagine my surprise when in ten or 

 fifteen minutes the bark cracked from the root up as much as six 

 feet. I am not much on theory but I can tell what the result is. 

 So with our apple trees, we find on the south side where the rays 



