WINTER INJURY 271 



Instances of this are furnished sometimes by the fall blossoming of fruit 

 trees. The severe winter of 1917-1918 resulted in greater damage to old 

 trees in Indiana than to young and the suggestion is made that this con- 

 dition "is possibly accounted for by the fact that many old trees made a 

 late second growth while on vigorous young trees the growth was not 

 arrested by dry weather in late summer and they matured normally. "^^ 

 It is interesting to contrast this condition with the greater damage to 

 young trees in Ohio following the wet summer of 1906. 



Preventive Measures. — Unfortunately the weather cannot be predicted 

 reliably far ahead. However, it seems evident that August rainfall 

 frequently is important in the northeast in determining tree maturity 

 in October and that orchard operations in that section should be varied 

 somewhat during August according to the rainfall. A very dry August 

 should be accompanied by late cultivation to lessen the likelihood of 

 second growth; a very wet August would indicate the wisdom of stopping 

 cultivat;ion altogether and sowing a quick-growing, moisture-consuming 

 cover crop. A warm, moist October -cannot be foretold but its effects 

 can be forestalled, at least in part, by a suitable cover crop which will 

 reduce soil moisture. 



Localized Injuries. — Aside from the occasional serious and widespread 

 damages just mentioned, there are, probably every winter, minor localized 

 injuries. It is impossible, however, to draw any sharp line between 

 what is here termed localized injuries and more general injury. For 

 instance, the killing back of shoots, canes or limbs, if severe, would be 

 considered in the latter class; if it were light it might as readily be con- 

 sidered localized. 



Crotch and Crown Injury. — A form of injury, often unnoticed for 

 some time after its occurrence, but with greater potentiality of ulti- 

 mate serious consequences, is the killing of more or less limited areas 

 of bark on the trunk, particularly at the crown of the tree or at the 

 crotches. Attention may be drawn to the dead area first by its sunken 

 appearance consequent to the growth of the surrounding uninjured tissue 

 or it may become evident through the cracking of the bark at the injured 

 area or sometimes by the loosening of the bark. 



Of the apple varieties commonly grown in the regions where this 

 injury has been most studied, Ben Davis seems most susceptible, with 

 Baldwin showing considerable tenderness in this respect. King, though 

 less widely grown, is so notoriously subject to this malady that the injury 

 is sometimes called the "King disease." It seems significant that all 

 of these varieties are late growers. Gravenstein, in Nova Scotia, is 

 also reported as susceptible. ^^^ 



Grossenbacher'*2 i-epoi-ts crown rot much more common in cultivated 

 land than in sod and particularly in land formerly in sod but recently 

 plowed. He also reports high, wind-swept situations with thin soils to 



