150 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



ities wholly unavailable for the needs of evergreen plants, and, as 

 we shall presently show, the evaporation was excessive. 



The winter of 1871-2 was cold and unusuall}' windy — the cold, 

 though not severe, being constant, and the winds beginning with 

 the unparalleled gale of Thanksgiving day — November, 1871 — up to 

 the violent winds of almost the whole of the month of March, 1872, 

 surpassing in violence those of any previous year. 



Thus, we have in these facts alone — the drought enfeebling the 

 roots and growth, the cold hermetically sealing the ground, the 

 winds causing a constant sap evaporation which the roots were 

 unable to supply, sutficient causes for the great destruction of 

 evergreens. 



This reasoning ma}' perhaps be supported by certain facts devel- 

 oped by the summer of 1872, and the winter, thus far, of 1872-3. 



Down to the time of writing this report (March 1, 1873,) the sea- 

 son has been just the reverse of the two previous years. A wet, warm 

 summer, a vigorous growth of vegetation, a moderate autumn, well 

 ripened growth, and a winter thus far from constant covering of 

 snow exceeding!}^ beneficial to the ground, although characterized 

 bj' a severity of cold almost unprecedented. 



The result, as far as we have been able to ascertain, ma}- be 

 summed up in a few words. 



Roots of all trees have been, owing to the little frost in the 

 ground, more or less active. The deciduous trees have not been 

 allowed such perfect rest as the continued cold and frost-bound 

 earth of a 3'ear ago enforced upon them. I'lent}' of moisture for 

 evaporation has been afforded evergreens, and the result is that (as 

 far as now can be ascertained) evergreens never looked better, and 

 fruit-buds seem to be badly killed, although it is as yet too early 

 to report in full upon the different classes. 



One other fact in relation to the destruction of evergreens should 

 not be lost sight of. The winds of November and March were of 

 unprecedented violence. The cold of March came after some days 

 of warm, melting weather. 



The leaves of all evergreens were in as great action from the 

 few days of warm weather as it was possible for tlicm to be at the 

 season (due allowance being made for the then unfavorable con- 

 dition of the soil). Rhododendrons, for example, had their leaves 

 fully open (they usually contracting in cold weather). This was 

 the case up to midnight of March 4th. The temperature then, as 



