STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 45 



saying that the resistance of an individual plant to cold varies, 

 within limits, with the amount of moisture it contains at the time 

 of the freeze, although I do not recall any experimental evidence 

 to prove the assertion. If this is granted the application to the 

 case is as follows : Snow fell early in November, 1906, and 

 remained on throughout the entire winter. You will also 

 remember that when the snow came there was no frost in the 

 ground and except in exposed localities the soil did not freeze. 

 The roots of trees standing on lower lands where the soil was 

 comparatively warm were not chilled and kept forcing moisture 

 uj) into the trunk thus saturating .the tissues with water. On 

 the other hand the soil underneath and the roots of the trees 

 on the exposed localities were chilled down quite early in the 

 season. Hence it would seem that there would be less forcing 

 of water into these trees, the moisture content would be less,, 

 and they would not suffer so much from frost injury as the 

 trees on lower ground. 



Xow, what can we do to avoid repetition of this trouble^ 

 Unfortunately we cannot control the weather and must take the 

 bitter with the sweet. It seems hard, when a man has the 

 results of years of work swept away just as he is about to realize 

 profitable returns, to tell him that the loss could not be avoided. 

 However, the experiences of the past few years have their value 

 if applied. We should plant only those varieties which with- 

 stood the freezing or withstood it to a marked degree. If others 

 are used it must be with the understanding that chances are being 

 taken in doing so. In selecting ground for orchards we should 

 see that it is well drained, and avoid heavy soils, low valleys and 

 pockets. If advantage cannot be taken of natural wind breaks 

 an artificial one should be provided on the side of the prevailing 

 cold winds. It goes without saying that the trees should be well 

 fertilized and cared for. However, they should not be stimu- 

 lated by late cultivation to too strong and late growth in the 

 fall so that the wood will not mature before winter sets in. 

 Professor Alunson also notes, and your Secretary emphasizes 

 this in his report, that trees which bore heavily the summer 

 before are more likely to be injured and recommends thinning 

 the fruit in summer on the heavily loaded trees. 



