PROCLEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 191 



Mr. Bergeu found his Lawtons very subject to being killed, but 

 did not think the severity of the weather had much to do with it. 

 The thermometer at his place at Long Island marked 10 a 12^ 

 below zero, which was the coldest for 30 years, but his Lawtons 

 were not more killed than at some previous winters. 



Col. Hamilton found his box and raspberries where the sun 

 struck them in the morning killed worse than in other situations, 

 hence some protection or break was needed. 



Dr. Smith. — If cold is gradually drawn from a plant, the same 

 as from frosted flesh, the injury will be much less than if suddenly 

 extracted. 



Mr. J. C. Thompson found his raspberries set on the north side 

 of a fence much less winter-killed than those upon the south side. 



Mr. S. B. Parsons said the same was true with conifers, which 

 often killed worse in a sunny than shaded situation. 



Mr, W. F. Cowdery — The seasons vary and wood ripens much 

 better in some autumns than others. When well ripened it will 

 stand the winter without killing badly. He bought one hundred 

 of the Philadelphia raspberry and the next spring they were alive 

 to the very tips, though the winter was severe. Last spring he 

 found them cut down one-fourth or one-third, and can only account 

 for it by imperfectly ripened wood. Grapes were badly damaged 

 in Ohio the past winter, not so much on account of the severe 

 weather as immature wood. 



Dr. Warder said this subject of winter-killing was very important. 

 Many plants will endure severe cold if they thaw gradually. 

 Building fences upon the sunny side would be too expensive, but 

 a partial protection is afibrded by planting east and west between 

 rows of apple trees, to be taken out when the plants interfere 

 with the growth of the orchard — tall grass or sedge from the salt 

 meadows, corn-stalks, etc., spread over the canes or vines afford 

 them a good protection. 



Some things are hard to explain. For example the purple 

 cane-raspberry — the richest berry we have — ^and the black-cap, 

 both reputed hardy, sufiered badly last winter, while the Lawtons 

 by their side, were scarcely touched. He accounts for it on the 

 principle of self-protection, or the shade of plants upon themselves 

 His new plants, with less shade v/ere more injured. In reply to 

 the question of cutting back, the Dr. nips his blackberries when 

 breast high, or about the 4th of July. They branch out, and in 



