CLIMATOLOGY 13 



such cases the new wood does not mature properly 

 and is therefore especially liable to winter injury. 

 The writer, by extended experiments and observa- 

 tions on this point, has fully satisfied himself that 

 this danger either does not exist or has been greatly 

 over-magnified. The instances of trees made sus- 

 ceptible to winter injury through too much vigor 

 are rare ; the cases of damage through weakness and 

 starvation are to be seen by thousands every year. 

 Good orchard management should endeavor to se- 

 cure sound wood with well-formed terminal buds 

 before the leaves fall in autumn, but any further 

 worry on this point would be like the anxiety of a 

 man who should fear that his pigs or calves were 

 growing too fast. 



4. Character of the soil. Trees on deep, well- 

 drained soil will stand more freezing than those on 

 thin, dry land or on heavy, wet land. 



5. Ground protection. In certain cases the pro- 

 tection of the ground by snow or by a good cover 

 crop helps the trees materially to withstand inclem- 

 ent winter weather. 



It is possible at this point to make a distinction 

 of no very great significance between two forms of 

 freezing damage which occur on peach trees. The 

 first form is that of twig injury, only the tips of 

 young and immature twigs being killed. This may 

 be really serious, but is not so grave a matter as the 

 second form, which consists in the killing of main 

 branches or trunks. Even in the latter type of 

 damage, and in what appear to be extreme cases, 

 trees may make recovery. That is, they will not die 

 outright, but may be rejuvenated and made to bear 

 commercial crops for several years. They will be 

 weakened, however; the tops will be straggling and 

 ill-balanced, the trunks will usually be black and 



