38 HARDINESS OF THE TREE, 



practically recover before the close of the growing 

 season, the injury is irreparable. Under such a 

 condition hardiness has little to do in restoring the 

 tree to its normal condition. A Duchess of Olden- 

 burg may be killed as easily by bad handling as a 

 Baldwin. 



The relationship of latitude to climatic condi- 

 tions which effect the vitality and longevity of a 

 tree is a subject upon which there is great misap- 

 prehension. Without investigation how many 

 have not concluded that there is a perfect grada- 

 tion of fruits and trees from wild cherries and plums 

 of Baffins Bay to the orange groves of the Gulf. 

 When we take so large a range of latitude as this 

 there is such an apparent gradation, but there are in 

 fact sectional exceptions. There are latitudes where 

 for more than 100 miles this may be counter 

 balanced, or even reversed by other -causes. This 

 has no reference to isothermal lines, these only 

 mark the average temperature, and do not 

 necessarily, nor do they generally, determine 

 conditions upon which we may safely predicate our 

 opinions of the adaptability of varieties to different 

 latitudes. 



The average or mean temperature in certain 

 lines or zones is recorded by these isothermal lines, 

 from data extending through longer or short peri- 

 ods, sometimes embracing but a few certain 

 months in a period of years, or they may be the 

 record of the mean temperature for all the months. 

 In either case they are of little value to us for our 



