34 HARDINESS OF THE TREE, 



believe that the peach could, under similar condi- 

 tions, be successfully grown up to 41 and probably 

 42. The trouble is to compel or control these 

 conditions. I have, during several winters, kept a 

 careful record of the condition of my Russian 

 apricot trees, and, while they were in tree perfectly 

 hardy under any conditions of this climate, the fruit 

 buds killed at about the same degree of cold that 

 killed the peach buds. My conclusion was that 

 the tree was an anomaly, being prepared for arctic 

 winters in wood, but wearing tropic fruit buds. 

 Nature does not make many anomalies, and this 

 proved not to be one either. As the trees attained size 

 and age this weakness disappeared, arid the buds 

 have for two winters ensured lower than 30 below, 

 and then been followed by bountiful crops of very 

 excellent fruit. Peaches have also been occasion- 

 ally grown in this latitude, and in southern 

 South Dakota, and it is a significant fact that these 

 crops have not as a rule followed mild open 

 winters, but more nearly the reverse. 



In considering this subject, I shall confine my- 

 self mostly to that monarch of all fruits the apple. 



Small fruits of great variety can be almost com- 

 pelled to obey us. We can, if we cannot control 

 the elements, so protect these luxuries as to ward 

 off all harm from them. 



Cherries and plums afford us but little trouble. 

 The pear is an enigma. When we have apples we 

 have fruit enough. To take a common sense view 

 we must conclude that when the tree has, during 



