190G.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 119 



grown in ordinary soil, and the arbor vitas, sparingly found 

 as a native in this State, frequently burns when planted on 

 high or more or less dry land with severe exposure. This 

 holds good also for hemlocks, and to a certain extent for 

 pines and junipers. 



Winter-killing. 



The disastrous effects of winter-killing are probably more 

 discernible in the State at the present time than for many 

 years ; at least, we have no recollection of seeing so much 

 damage done to so large a variety of trees and shrubs as has 

 occurred in the last two or tlu'ee years. The winter of 

 1903-04 was extremely severe on most of the native and 

 exotic plants, including trees, shrubs and vines ; and, while 

 the winter of 1904-05 was not so severe in many ways, the 

 past summer has done much to emphasize any trouble that was 

 present to a slight degree before. The winter of 1902-03 

 was also a severe one, althouo-h the effects of killing- durina: 

 that period were largely above ground. 



The symptoms of winter-killing are tolerably well marked 

 in most instances, especially to the trained observer, and it 

 is seldom that it need be confounded with anything else, 

 neither is it always necessary to make extensive examina- 

 tions of root systems to ascertain root killing. Further- 

 more, because a plant is native constitutes no evidence of 

 its ability to withstand unusually severe conditions, since 

 unusual seasonal peculiarities often render them less hardy. 

 For example, the Labrador tea, which is a native of Labra- 

 dor, has been known to winter-kill in this State, although the 

 climatic conditions of this State are decidedly milder than 

 those of Labrador. There are several classes of winter in- 

 jury which may readily be distinguished, some of which are 

 not unusual, and can be found every year. There is killing 

 of that portion of the plant above ground as well as killing 

 of the root systems, the latter being extremely common 

 during the winter of 1903-04. Besides these types of injury 

 mentioned above, there frequently occur frost cracks, twig 

 killing, bud injuries, blisters to leaves, etc. The latter has 

 occurred occasionally in leaves of apple trees in the spring 



