REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FRUIT. 85 



3d of February, and was estimated at from ten to twelve inches. 

 On the 23d of February the mercury fell to from — I'' to — 3*^. From 

 February 2Gth to March 1st, we had almost constant high winds, the 

 thermometer standing on successive mornings at 17°, 13*^, ll'', 

 and lO'^. The morning of the 5th of March the thermometer 

 showed — 4° with high winds, and the 6th and 7th were very much 

 the same. March 16th the thermometer was only 3° above zero, 

 on the 21st 7°, and on the 22d 11°. It will be seen that the 

 most remarkable characteristic of the winter was unusual dryness, 

 at times accompanied with severe cold and high wind, and it is 

 believed that to this cause we are to attribute the injury to the 

 grape-vines, which so much lessened the crop of that fruit. The 

 opinion is expressed by the best cultivators that the extremely 

 cold, dry air and high winds caused such an evaporation from the 

 tops of the vines, as the roots, owing to the depth to which the 

 ground was frozen, were unable to supply. And this opinion is 

 strengthened by the fact that vines which, from the peculiarity of 

 their situation were enabled to strike their roots to an unusual 

 depth, were enabled to escape entirely or with but partial injury. 



In our last I'eport, in commenting on the unusually cold 

 weather of November, 1871, we expressed the belief that the 

 wood and buds of our fruit trees were so well matured by the 

 previous warm weather that no injury need be apprehended. This 

 belief has proved to be well-founded, and we think it probable 

 that the exemption of our fruit trees from injury is to a great ex- 

 tent due to the fact that they strike their roots more deeply than 

 the vine, and thus were protected from injury by excessive evap- 

 oration. 



It was a most gratifying surprise, when so many of our hardiest 

 forest trees were either killed outright, or greatly injured, to find 

 that even the buds of the peach trees had not sustained the slight- 

 est damage. 



The strawberries experienced much injury from the winter, and 

 wherever water stood over them and was frozen, the destruction of 

 the plants was complete. Raspberries and blackberries, when un- 

 protected, were greatly damaged. 



The summer will long be remembered for the extreme heat and 

 great quantity of rain, reminding us of the accounts which we 

 have read of tropical climates, the thermometer having for about 

 three weeks in the last of .June and first part of July stood at 



