100 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST 



1871 



neatli the weight of ice, and yet the storm increased. 

 On Saturday it continued, alternating between rain 

 and sleet. Saturday night the storm continued, the 

 rising wind adding to its fierceness, and increasing 

 the damage already done to orchard, forest, shade 

 and ornamental trees. On Sunday it changed into 

 Bnow, but could add little to the damage already 

 done. The damage done to orchards is very great, 

 entirely destroying hundreds of trees. Our oldest 

 orchards fixred the worst. The trunks and branches 

 were covered with a coating of ice from IJj to 2 

 inches thick, and many fine specimens of evergreens 

 were borne down with the immense weight of ice, 

 and ruined. North of us a few miles, there was no 

 sleet of any consequence, but there was a heavy fall 

 of snow. At least 34 "f uiy orchard is entirely 

 ruined. Scarcely a tree escaped without some of 

 of its branches broken. To estimate the amount of 

 damage would be impossible, for aside from the in- 

 trinsic value of the amount destroyed is the care 

 and interest expended in watching over and train- 

 ing those trees, whose beauty and value arc des- 

 troyed. I cannot, according to tlic time allotted to 

 us to live, expect to see others in their places as 

 they were before the storm, but I shall fill their 

 places with younger trees, and if I should not live 

 to eat their fruit, others will. 



Nursery trees received no injury worth mention- 

 ing. Young trees lay almost flat on tlie ground. 

 The ice remained on the trees eight or ten days. 

 South-west of here, at Bloomington, I understand 

 the damage to trees was even greater than here. 



WUmington, lU., March 8lh 1871. N. 



Pnr The Western PomoUigist. 



Tbe Peach in the Northern States. 



By W. n. W., Hahtford Co., Conn. 



The peach being one of, if not the most lu.scious 

 and desirable of our tree fruits, it becomes very 

 desirable to grow it wherever possible ; but from its 

 being a native of a mild climate, the tree has been 

 found difficult to ;'row, to stand the rigors of our 

 northern climate and produce fruit, especially the 

 finer and more desirable varieties. What shall we 

 do then ? Shall we abandon the attempt altogether, 

 and not try to grow it in any of its varieties? Our 

 answer would be an emphatic No I for, we believe, 

 if we cannot grow the largest and finest fruit, wc 

 can succeed in growing a good peacli, with a tree 

 that will stand our climate and produce fruit as 

 regularly as our other fruit trees. How shall it be 

 done? you at once ask. Our reply will be, we 

 must grow hardy seedling trees in protected locali- 

 ties, and adapt our culture, pruning, etc., to the 

 circumstances of loealitj', climate, etc. Natural, or 

 Seedling trees, frequently produce fruit of nearly, 

 if not quite as good flavor, richness, etc., as tlie fruit 



from budded trees; especially is this the case when 

 particular pains are taken to produce the trees, cul- 

 tivate and prune with the particular object in 

 view. We do not pretend we can grow the same 

 quality of fruit as easily as can be done in a acre 

 congenial soil and climate ; but that we may have 

 good fruit of our own production with but little 

 extra care and labor. 



In order that we may succeed with the peach 

 throughout all our Northern States, we must grow 

 seedling trees of dwarfish habit, .slow of growth, 

 and prune or cut back somewhat closely, and give 

 them protection of forests or timber growth, etc. 

 Procure seed, or young trees, from good flavored 

 natural fruit from perfectly healthy trees in a more 

 northern locality. In the fall, after planting, take 

 them up and cut them back to within three to six 

 inches of the collar; plant them so that they will 

 bo sheltered from prevailing cold winds, storms, etc., 

 ])y hills, ridges, woods, buildings or other breaks; 

 keep them headed quite low by cutting hack annu- 

 ally, .so that at five or six years of age the trees may 

 not be more than as many feet high. Cultivate 

 early in the season, ceasing as early as July 1st, to 

 induce ri|)ening of the wood before cold winter 

 comes. Tlirnw the earth up to them so as to mound 

 and ]irotect the lower part of the branches, during 

 winter, from cold, and to keep out the borer. 



Tbe Pon^lonla Imperialla 



C. C. Coolcy, of Manchester, Ohio, has on his 

 premises, growing hixuriantly, one of the most 

 Iteautiful flowering trees in the world, the same 

 being the "Powlonia Imperialis," of Japan. Some 

 nine years since his brother sent him a small tree, 

 about two feet in hight, and about the thickness of 

 one's finger. It is now forty-five feet high, and 

 measures fifty-two feet in circumference, three feet 

 above the ground. Some of the leaves are forty- 

 seven inches in circumference. It commenced to 

 bloom the third year after planting. The flowers 

 are very beautiful, growing in large clusters, some- 

 times to tlie number of one hundred and twenty in 

 one bunch. Each flower is about one and a quar- 

 ter inches in length by two in circumference. They 

 all l)loom at one time, and are as fragrant as a 

 white lily, remaining in bloom from two to three 

 weeks. No insects troulilc the tree, except honey 

 bees, which seem to be very fond of the flowers. 

 It never sprouts, but can be raised from the seed as 

 easily as corn. The seed should be planted about 

 the first of May, and cared for as other plants are 

 cared for, care being taken to give them good soil 

 and that attention which plants should always 

 receive. For ornamenting yards or cemeteries we 

 can think of not'iing which would be more attrac- 

 tive than the tree spoken of — La Crosse Democrat. 



