306 THE SURVIVAL OF THE UNLIKE. [XVII. 



tatingly under ordinary circumstances. Even in re- 

 gions which have once been devoted to fruits there 

 may come a real or apparent change of climate, which 

 overturns the business of the community. An instance 

 of this kind occurs on the eastern shore of Cayuga 

 Lake, in New York. This shore was a well-known 

 peach region a generation and more ago, but the old 

 orchards have now disappeared, and new ones do not 

 take their places because the people feel that some 

 change of climate within the generation makes peach 

 growing more precarious than it was formerly. Or- 

 chards are creeping in slowly here and there, but 

 everyone is distrustful. (See Bulletin 74, Corm^ll 

 Exp. Sta.) Similar instances are common in many 

 parts of the country, and the services of climatology 

 should be called to the solution of the difficulties. 



What I have said of the synchronisms of frosts 

 and blooming periods can be repeated with almost 

 equal force for many other attributes of climate in 

 their relations to plant life ; and these observations 

 will apply to all fruits, besides peaches, which are 

 liable to injury from late frosts. It will be found, 

 in fact, that even different varieties of the same 

 species may demand separate treatment, for these 

 often vary among themselves in time of bloom quite 

 as constantly as in time of maturation of fruit. The 

 synchronisms of early fall frosts and maturation of 

 certain fruits are subjects of immense importance to 

 the horticulturist. The northern limit of grape cul- 

 ture, for instance, is determined much more by the 

 date of early fall frosts than by winter climates. This 

 is well illustrated by the Catawba, which is our most 

 important native wine grape. It hugs the shores of 



