34 



them congenial or they quickly become unhappy strangers in 

 a foreign country. 



The two great factors of climate are temperature and 

 rainfall. Many varieties of raspberries and blackberries 

 are at the mercy of the cold winter and fare poorly during 

 the winter months, even when assisted by all the skill of 

 man. Varieties vary in susceptibility to cold and careful 

 selection, combined Avith skillful cultural treatment 

 and protection may aid somewhat. Currants and goose- 

 berries are usually quite hardy, the strawberry suffers but 

 little when well protected by a winter covering of snow or 

 mulching supplied by man while raspberries, blackberries 

 and dewberries more quickly show the disastrous effects of 

 low temperatures. 



Hardiness is composite. It is dependent on but one 

 factor, Soil affects hardiness. "Warm, gravelly, sandy or 

 light, loamy soils, not too wet are more conducive to a well- 

 ijiatured, strong, firm growth than a cold, wet, heavy clay. 

 The degree of moisture in the soil may give a favorably or 

 unfavorable condition for winter killing. 



Frost strikes in deeply in wet soils, causing root-in,jury. 

 while in such soils the growth is soft and sappy. Extremes 

 of temperature with high winds may cause excessive evapo- 

 ration from the plants, which must be supplied by the soil. 

 01 winter injury follows. Plant-food supplied by manure 

 or fertilizers may tend to increase or decrease plant hardi- 

 ness. If their use causes a rank, soft, immature growth, 

 winter injury ensues. Half-starved, underfed plants, 

 weakened through lack of nourishment, are more suscepti- 

 ble to winter-injury than those that have fed from the "full 

 (dinner pail." With some of the Small-Fruits cover-crops 

 may aid somewhat in protecting the roots from cold, caus- 

 ing the wood to ripen more quickly in fall and in diverting 

 surplus moisture. Varieties of Small-Fruit vary not only in 

 the time of maturity of the wood , but also in their inherent 

 ability to withstand cold. Some are by nature hardy ; others 

 are by nature tender. Winter-injury may develop because 



