OF FRUIT TREES- 51 



soms of apple trees are liable to be injured by spring 

 frosts, when the trees are planted in the lowest parts 

 of a conlined valley. In thedomestick encyclopedia, 

 Dr. Mease has inserted an excellent paper on the cli- 

 mate of the United States by colonel Tatham, from 

 which 1 extract as follows. u lt is a fact that in those 

 western parts of the United States, which have a high 

 exposure to the winter's blast, the northern sides of a 

 ridge or mountain arrive sooner and more certainly 

 t a state of perfect vegetation, than the south sides, 

 which are laid open to the power of the sun. lac- 

 count for this phenomenon as follows : I suppose that 

 the southern exposure to the vehement rays of the 

 sun, during the infant stages of vegetation, puts the 

 sap in motion at too early a period of the spring, be- 

 fore the season has become sufficiently steady to af- 

 ford nurture and protection to the vegetating plant, 

 blossom or leaf; and when in this state, the first ef- 

 forts of vegetation are checked by the chilling influ- 

 ence of cold nights, and such changeable weather as 

 the contest between winter and spring is ever ready 

 to produce, in their apparent struggles to govern the 

 season. On the contrary, the northern exposures, 

 which are not so early presented to the vivifying in- 

 fluence of the sun, remain, as it were, in a torpid state 

 until the more advanced period of the spring, when 

 all danger of vegetation being checked, is over." I 

 have long entertained the opinion, says Mr* Yates, 

 that an orchard, exposed to the north, where the 

 ground in the spring of the year continues longer 

 bound by frost, which retards the vegetation, would 

 be preferable to one bearing an easterly or southern 

 aspect, where the 'sap-juice is sooner in motion, and 

 accelerated by the rays of the sun. The rows of 

 trees in an orchard ought to incline to a point of com- 

 pass towards the east ; because the sun will shine up- 

 on them early in the forenoon, and thus dissipate the 



