MAKING AN ORCHARD. 161 



ground gets sufficiently frozen in winter, is to mulch 



the trees whilst the ground is frozen This 



serves to keep the ground frozen and consequently- 

 cold about the roots, and prevents the sap rising too 

 soon." 



With Mr. Anderson's preference for a north- 

 western aspect nobody would quarrel ; but, as all fruit 

 ranches cannot face in that direction, it will be useful 

 to know what other aspects may be chosen. And 

 here it may be stated, as the result of actual observa- 

 tion on the ranches along the shores of Lake 

 Kootenay, that they may, and do, face north, east, 

 west, south, and south-east, as well as north-west, 

 without any injurious effects following from spring or 

 fall frosts. One of the most prominent growers in 

 the vicinity of Nelson, whose ranch faces south-east, 

 has publicly said, " During my seven years' ex- 

 perience here I have never suffered the slightest 

 injury to plums, peaches, or cherries from spring or 

 fall frosts"; and, so far as I know, no lake-front 

 rancher, whatever the aspect and situation of his 

 ranch, has suffered injury or loss from late spring 

 frosts. During the January of the present year 

 (1909), when there occurred the coldest spell and 

 severest frost ever experienced in the history of 

 Nelson, the thermometer descending thirteen degrees 

 below the previous minimum, or to - 19 deg. Fahr., 

 young peach trees, standing on a northward slope, 

 and consequently exposed to the keenest blizzard that 

 has visited the district within the memory of man, 

 suffered no serious injury. I may add that I myself 

 have seen and examined the trees in question. Thus 

 a frost of 19 deg. below zero proved to be innocuous 



