EEPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. 149 



known as very deep-rooted trees, generally escaped uninjured, or 

 where killed it was in exposures which had a dry, light soil, fully 

 exposed to the sun. 



Among fruit trees those newly planted suffered badly, but old 

 established trees stood generally uninjured. 



The large crop of fruit in the summer of 1872, in spite of drought 

 in the previous summer, is easily accounted for by the fact that 

 the wood growth was checked by the drought, the wood well ripened, 

 and the trees were forced into producing an abundance of fruit-buds, 

 and were by the continued cold kept dormant until late in the spring. 

 The temperature was not so cold in New England as to destroy the 

 fruit-buds of the peach, and the cold, backward spring checked 

 any early growth, so that when the fruit-buds once began to swell 

 (which was late in the season), they escaped injur}- from the usual 

 destructive late frosts. 



As we have said, the nature of an evergreen is different from 

 that of a deciduous tree. An CA'ergreen in the first place does 

 not root deeply — it therefore is the greater sufferer from drought. 

 Again an evei'green never is at rest like a deciduous tree. In the 

 latter the leaves fall, or if remaining upon the tree are dry and 

 without life. In the former a certain amount of sap is always 

 necessary to maintain the foliage, varying much, however, accord- 

 ing to the nature of that foliage, and the plant is thus far more 

 liable to injury from sudden alternations of temperature. 



We may especially notice this in large-leafed evergreens, such 

 as Rhododendrons. 



It is, perhaps, not saying too much to surmise that the supply of 

 sap thus furnished to the foliage, varies much from day to day ; a 

 long spell of warm weather causing more to be furnished than is 

 supplied during protracted cold, A greater or less evaporation 

 from the leaves of evergreens is continuall}^ going on, and the loss 

 thus occasioned must necessaril}'- be supplied by the roots. If the 

 roots are not in a condition to meet the call thus made upon them, 

 the plant suffers or dies. 



The frost of the winters of 1871-2 penetrated deeper into the 

 ground than we have ever known ; the earth w^as very dr}-, and the 

 roots of all plants were hermetically sealed by this long continued 

 frost for quite four months, say in New England from November 

 25 to March 25. 



During this time the little moisture in the soil was in most local- 



