132 EFFECT OF CLIMATE AND SOIL. 



The Blight, which sometimes kills the terminal shoots of 

 the branches, has been variously ascribed to the sting of an 

 insect, and to the effects of weather. The cause does not 

 appear to have been satisfactorily ascertained. It rarely 

 proves a formidable disaster, although trees are occasionally 

 much disfigured by it, and temporarily checked in growth. 

 The Bark-louse (a species of Coccus} which infests the bark 

 of apple and pear trees, may be destroyed by soap- wash or 

 ley, applied early in summer. 



THE DEPREDATIONS OF MICE, 



May be prevented by a small mound or bank of fresh earth, 

 thrown up to the height of a foot around each tree, late in 

 autumn, to be removed in spring. Trees laid-in or buried 

 in a trench for keeping through winter, are sometimes seri- 

 ously injured by the attacks of mice. This may be safely 

 guarded against by placing the trees more nearly in an up- 

 right position, and banking up a foot high on all sides. 



CHANGES WROUGHT BY CLIMATE AND SOIL. 



This subject has been treated, as applied to fruits gene- 

 rally in a former part of this work ; a few brief remarks on 

 the variations in the apple may be interesting. 



The winter apples of the northern states, when cultivated 

 further south, are changed to autumn apples ; and as far 

 south as Georgia, some of our good keepers ripen nearly by 

 the end of summer. The Baldwin and Rhode Island Green- 

 ing at Cincinnati and at St. Louis, cease to be winter fruits. 

 There are few or none of the northern apples which succeed 

 well as keepers as far south as Carolina. This is owing to 

 the long southern summers. It has been found that varie- 

 ties originated in the southern states are generally best 

 adapted to the climate of that region. 



Some varieties are greatly influenced by a change of cli- 

 mate, and others but slightly. The Ribston Pippin, so ex- 

 cellent at Montreal, is of little value a few degrees further 

 south. The Rhode Island Greening and the Roxbury Rus- 

 set, on suitable soils, throughout New- York and New-Eng- 

 land, present the same characteristics of flavor and appear- 

 ance the Baldwin, so fine at the east, greatly deteriorates 



