59 



This is tedious in description, but two men buried and protected my thirty-seven 

 bearing fig trees, last October, in one day. 



TAKING UP FIG TREES IN THE SPRING. 



About early corn-planting, remove the top earth, and take up the trees carefully. 



This is much easier than laying them down, as less earth is to be removed, but must 



be done with care or some of the branches may be broken. After our hardest winters, 



• (and the mercury here ssmetimes falls 20° below zero of Fahrenheit,) I have taken up 



trees twelve years old, treated as above described, with every bud, sound. 



And having seen the growth of fig trees in warm climates, on both continents, I say, 

 without hesitation, that when they have been several months buried, they grow with 

 far greater vigor here, than in climates where the winters are so mild that they need 

 no protection. The expense of winter-protection is counterbalanced by several 



OTHER ADVAUTAGE9 OF GROWING SEMI-TROPICAL PLANTS AND FRUITS I-N COLDER 



CLIMATES. 



1. There are many more hours of sunshine North of 40° than below 30°, during the 

 months of May, June, July and August, when these fruits grow and ripen. 



2. It is the extreme, and not the continuous heat of simimer, which gives the 

 highest flavor to fruits, and this extreme heat is greatest in the more northern latitudes, 

 as may be seen by the record kept in the United States Land Offices. 



3. The pulverization of the soil, by the severe frosts of the higher latitudes, espe- 

 cially on the Oriental sides of both continents, leaves the ground in better condition 

 for the roots of plants ; and after their rest of winter, their growth is more rapid and 

 vigorous than in lower latitudes. 



4. Most of the insects which prey especially upon Southern plants and fruits, cannot 

 bear Northern winters ; and thus both trees and fruit escape, in a great degree, the 

 greatest difficulty found in growing fruits which belong exclusively to our Northern 

 climates.* 



For these and other reasons, it may be laid down as a rule, to which there are few 

 exceptions, that plants, which are carefully and skillfully cultivated, grow best and 

 produce the most regular and satisfactory crops, near the frost limit of the zone of 

 their habitat. This is true, both of annuals and perennials. The tradition of the 

 wine countries of Europe is, that all their grape vines came originally from Italy, 

 south of the Alps ; yet far the best and most abundant crops of grapes are now grown, 

 and the finest wines made, in the European countries north of the Alps. .The most 

 precious of all, the Tokay, is grown iniJuagary, near the fortress of Tokay, >lat. 48°, 

 where the mercury sometimes freezes, and where it is necessary to cover the grape 

 vines with earth, as fig trees here are covered, during the winter. 



Many will remember the ridicule and discouragement which were thrown on the 

 first attempts to grow the better qualities of grapes in the Northern States, and 

 especially after it was found that the European grape vines would not succeed here. 

 But by following, unconsciously, the example of the Northern Europeans, we have 

 brought the Catawba and other vines from the South, near the Gulf of Mexico, which 

 produce better fruit, and more regular crops, on the shore of Lake Erie, than in then- 

 native climate. The plants which bear the chief annual crops grown in the United 

 States came from warmer climates than those where they are now grown to the most 

 advantage The cotton plant originates, and is a perennial, between the tropics. But 

 ♦he best qualities of cotton, and the largestand most regular-crops, are grown where 

 \he Dlant is killed every winter ; and frequently injured in the spring and fall by frost. 

 Corn and wheat are both natives of warm climates; but, on the east side of our conti- 

 nent, the best and most regular crops of both, are grown between 36° and 44° North, 

 and so with most o f our fruits. 



* Oar hardiest f rait trees are often Injured here, and their crops destroyed in winter, by sleet and 

 k.«i ™uT$ f wmsine During the severe winter of 1828-29, many orange and fig trees were killed to 

 SfirLnS hv rieet aid frost, even so far South as Tallahassee, Fla. Ind I anrinformed that this i« 

 the *f ^rvmr^occureence From these dangers, tiees protected by a covering of earth are entirely 

 not a \ ery rare m*.u . proper for some varieties of fruit trees, especially evergreens, 



exempt. Such W«"'^ t onl *: th ' e more tender varieties of grape vines, which are often so 

 But it is f o^Self on? Mf-hardy fruit trees-peach trees, for ejownple-will not be benefited by 

 protected, but i »me plonr ™P?£J not be mad ^ ln tni8 s { mp , e wd ea 3y way t0 ce ai satisfactory 



^wCSSSdSpSS'sSSb V %rr ft !■ »°ir wtfflwd profile to cultivate them. 



