14 
EASTERN SHADE TREE CONFERENCE 
storm. First and foremost was blowing down or otherwise wrecking 
the woody structures of trees due to the force of the wind; 2nd, blowing 
off or lacerating and shredding of the leaves due to the same cause; 
3rd, killing of the leaves by salt laden moisture churned up from the 
ocean and carried inland for many miles, and 4th, the dessicating of 
leaves by the strong wind. There has been considerable discussion 
among observers in Rhode Island over the relative effect of the last two 
factors. Some maintain that there was not sufficient salt in the air to 
kill leaves and that the widespread browning was due almost entirely to 
the drying effect of the wind. This conclusion, however, is hardly 
tenable since the browning as manifested on white pine for instance was 
worse near the shore where there was plenty of moisture in the air, even 
when not raining and hardly perceptible, in New Hampshire, where the 
force of the wind appeared to be equally violent. To anyone who had 
occasion to drive an auto facing the storm during its greatest intensity 
and found windshield wipers incapable of removing the crust of crysta- 
lized salt and shredded leaves which formed on the windshield, there 
was little question regarding the presence of a deleterious quantity of 
salt in the air as well as of the mechanical damage to leaves by the force 
of the wind. After the storm also the ground, buildings and other 
objects were more or less covered with whole leaves and pieces of leaves, 
and crystals of salt were perceptible everywhere for many days. Fruit 
such as grapes, apples or pears on trees and vines or on the ground were 
so salty that they were decidedly unpalatable until thoroughly washed. 
So far as our Rhode Island observations indicate, it will be somewhat 
difficult to evaluate the potential resistance to wind damage among dif¬ 
ferent varieties of trees, due to the variations in amount and kinds of 
damage to individual trees of the same variety and in different places. 
In some cases magnificent sturdy looking trees with tremendously 
large and heavy balls of earth attached were uprooted while a short dis¬ 
tance away, perhaps, the only trees of the same or other varieties 
blown over would be those with shallow roots and light balls of earth. 
Again trees of the same variety standing side by side differed greatly 
in resistance. Near the writer’s home is a north and south road with 
elms on both sides. Some of the trees on the east side of the road have 
had branches broken in the past by the combined effects of ice and wind 
and were relatively low crowned. Trees immediately opposite on the 
west side were splendid high crowned symmetrical specimens that had 
never been injured except by workers who about two years ago laid a 
