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Regarding the injury to our fruit trees and grape vines, wo 

 apprehend that it took place between the last of February and 

 early in March. The ground was so open in that month that 

 some strawberry beds were forked over and plants set. On 

 Sunday morning, March 3d, the thermometer, in South Salem, 

 went up to 75 in the shade and 85 in the sun. On the Thurs- 

 day following, it was but 10 above nearly the whole day, and 

 upon the 18th, it was only 4 above at sunrise. The Mill 

 Pond was frozen over sufficient for skating. 



Such fluctuations of temperature, particularly ilms late, 

 would, we think, be more disastrous than if they had occurred 

 in December or January. The sudden freezing and thawing 

 of the sap vessels in winter, particularly in the grape vine, 

 causes this trouble ; and as the sap is always in motion, at all 

 seasons and under all circumstances, except in the presence of 

 intense cold, as said by that eminent physiologist. Dr. Lynd- 

 lay, can we wonder at these results ? Biot, a French writer, * 

 says that there is a great deal of sap in the Spring, and much 

 less at other seasons. He has also proved, by an ingenious 

 apparatus, that the rate of motion of the sap may be measured 

 at all seasons. In mild weather the sap was constantly rising, 

 but when frost was experienced, it flowed back again. 



Among the Pear Trees which seemed to have sufiered the 

 most, were the Beurre Bosc and Bartlett. Of the former, 

 whole trees were in some instances killed ; grafts, which had 

 borne for two years, were destroyed. With the Bartlett, the 

 injury was in the destruction of the fruit spurs and buds. 



The Harvard, Winter Nelis and some others which flowered 

 well in the Spring, set but little or no fruit ; while the Belle 

 Lucrative, Buflum, Paradise de Automne and Bezi de la Motte 

 sufiered but little. The Belle Lucratives were never finer ; 

 there were, in fact, larger specimens upon our tables than at 

 any former exhibition. This variety seems to be growing 

 larger from year to year. They have been, for two years past, 

 at least one-third larger than they were twenty years since. 

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