82 Forest and Timber Trees, 



some low sloping land, which I bought late last spring, and then 

 only a year old, I caused horse manure to be spread over the 

 roots, leaving the tops quite exposed as before. 1 have but little 

 or no fears for their fate. 



We know from experience that even in our climate the pear, 

 the cherry, the plum, and the quince, while young, and but of a 

 single summer's growth, are tender trees^ and require proteciion, 

 during the first winter, on a naked and defenceless soil. We 

 know that these trees, during the first winter, are liable to be 

 thrown out by frost and destroyed, unless we afford them pro- 

 tection; but in the second winter, if they grow well, we have 

 rarely witnessed any injury from winter. 



I am inclined to believe that the climate of the valley of the 

 great Hudson river is exposed to a degree of extreme cold dur- 

 ing winter, which is unknown in the same latitudes on high hills 

 remote from that river, or on the lands near the sea. The same 

 remarks may apply to the valley of the Connecticut, from the 

 position of this river, throughout its whole extent, from Canada 

 to the sea. 



I have good evidence that the climate of the whole valley of 

 the North river is, in all low situations, another and much more 

 severe and destructive climate, during winter, than ours at Bos- 

 ton, — the extreme cold of Canada being brought down and con- 

 centrated by the prevailing winds, which usually blow either north 

 or south, and seldom across the stream; and the frosts of summer 

 are more common and destructive in these valleys, as the dews 

 exhaled by day descend and rest on these valleys by night. I 

 have evidence of this in the frequent destruction of the cherry 

 trees, particularly at Albany, and of some other trees which in 

 other situations are deemed hardy. Albany being in the same 

 latitude as Boston, I have never particularly noticed in our jour- 

 nals how low the thermometer had descended at that place. I 

 only recollected once to have observed that it descended as low 

 as twenty-four degrees below zero; but it may at times have gone 

 down much lower, as I think I remember seeing an account that 

 it had descended to thirty degrees below zero at Troy, which is 

 but ten miles above Albany. I am further assured by gentlemen 

 on whom I can rely, that the whole valley not only of the North 

 river, but also of the Connecticut, is another and distinct climate 

 from ours. I have accounts of the occasional destruction of 

 large bearing hardy trees by our late winters, as far down the 

 river as Glastonbury, below Hartford, particularly of the pear, 

 peach and cherry, also of the hardy forest trees occasionally for 

 many miles above. Two years ago the thermometer was as low 

 as thirty-three degrees below zero at Northampton, and this win- 

 ter I noticed it had descended to thirty degrees below zero on 

 this same river, at Hanover, Vt. 



