i6 Maine; agriculturai, e;xpe;rime;nt station. 1909. 



ond lowest record of the season, — 35° F., another drop of 

 52° F. between observations. During the ten- days following it 

 will be seen from the figure the temperature ranged quite low, 

 the mean for this period being only slightly above zero F. 

 Except on the 25th these ten days were clear and the prevailing 

 wind was northwest, although not excessive. 



The weather records at Orono for nearly 40 years, 1869 to 

 December i, 1908, inclusive give 23 months with a minimum 

 record of -25° or lower, these occurring in 15 different years. 

 Only eight are -30° F. or below. January, 1878, with a mini- 

 mum of -35° F. and December, 1890, with -36.3° F. are the 

 only records through the period which in any way equal those 

 of January, 1907, in severity. It is unfortunate that there are 

 no authoritative records for winter-killing at hand aside from 

 the winters of 1903-4, 1904-5, 1906-7 and 1907-8. We have the 

 statement already quoted that the injury during the two first 

 mentioned winters was greater than for 20 years previous. It 

 is quite suggestive, however, to compare the records for these 

 two winters with others in which no injury is reported. 

 Twenty-six degrees below zero F. is given as the minimum for 

 both January and February, 1904. Similar conditions, -27° F. 

 for December, 1904' and -30° F. for January, 1905, are recorded 

 for the next winter. For six years previous there had been no 

 monthly minimum below -23° F. and for 35 years previous to 

 this only four years, 1873, 1887? 1894 and 1898, showed two con- 

 secutive months with a minimum of -25° F. or lower, although 

 a number of instances during the period are recorded where the 

 minimum temperature for a single month was as low or lower 

 than this. As has been said there are no available data to the 

 amount of winter-killing during these years. 



During the winter of 1906-07 in Maine the Baldwin and Ben 

 Davisi winter-killed much more than any other varieties, 

 although Northern Spy, Greening and several other varieties 

 suffered more or less severely, according to the location, slope, 

 and drainage of the orchard. At Orono, where the weather 

 records were taken, and at several other places, not even the 

 hardy Russian varieties escaped without considerable injury. 



It should be recognized that the above data are valuable 

 simply as a matter of record, and any attempt to draw general 



