ODDS' AND ENDS. 299 



the fact that the weather, both during the freeze and for 

 some days after, was cloudy, and the moderation of tem- 

 perature very gradual instead of sudden. 



In many cases not only were the older orange trees un- 

 injured, except to the extent of shedding their leaves, but 

 young trees in grove and nursery escaped damage. The 

 writer even had tender, dormant buds, that were exposed 

 to the full extent of cold and wind, buds set in young 

 nursery (grape fruit) stock, yet they passed through it 

 unharmed, and are now in strong, vigorous growth ; but 

 other buds, side by side with these, on lemon and lime 

 stock, were killed, together with their foster parents. 



Right here is one of the lessons of the freeze. Another 

 is, to cease cultivating the trees early in the season and 

 check the flow of the sap, so that the leaves may rest, and 

 the sap already in the body of the tree may fulfill its mis- 

 sion and form into the tissues that build it up. 



Not, understand, that we at all anticipate another such 

 frosty visitation; that is not likely for fifty or more years 

 to come, but that every tree needs rest, and during every 

 winter there may come "cold snaps" that would injure 

 young, tender growth, while it would not in the least affect 

 a dormant tree. 



That the freeze of the past winter will eventually prove 

 to have been a ' ' blessing in disguise " we are well assured. 

 For one thing it has proved, that the orange tree will stand 

 uninjured a much lower temperature than even its best 

 and most familiar friends supposed possible, and the result 

 is that Florida to-day, with her groves full of vigorous 

 growth, and oranges Half grown, with her young trees 

 making a thrifty growth also, with energy and hope once 

 more triumphant, Florida is to-day, we repeat, as profit- 

 able a field as ever for orange culture, with the added as- 

 surance that she did not have before, that the tree is very 



