PROTECTION OF ORCHARDS. 
563 
that make very late growth—rarely, if ever, while young, showing perfect 
maturity—that are among our hardiest varieties, such are the Fameuse and 
Fall Wine Sap ; while some of the most tender, finish their growth, and show 
well ripened wood. Among them are the Porter and Early Harvest. The 
pear and plum finish their growth earlier than the apple, and yet are much 
more liable to injury. 
While, to a certain extent, this theory'^of injury to our trees in consequence 
of late growth still holds true, it cannot be universally applied to all va¬ 
rieties, and probably not to any in all stages of their growth ; for while some 
of our best, and hardiest varieties will injure from this cause while in the 
nursery, or for the first'few years after planted, others that show Avell ma¬ 
tured growth, and seldom improve while young, are perfectly worthless when 
they come to the bearing age. Trees that improve from this cause are much 
more liable to be destroyed while young, than after coming into bearing. 
Seldom, if ever, are bearing trees injured from having made a late growth, 
for the production of mere wood growth, and the production of fruit, are an- 
tagonistical processes. 
Whence, then, comes the injury to bearing orchards? I answer, mainly 
from severe and long protracted cold. Extreme heat and extreme cold act 
in a similar manner upon plants; and exhaustive evaporation is equally inju¬ 
rious, whether produced by one or the other of these extremes. An examina¬ 
tion of the branch of a tree while the [’mercury ranges from 20° to 30^ be¬ 
low zero, shows the wood to be reduced to the smallest compass possible, not 
less than it would be, if severed from the tree and exposed to a week of 
summer heat. This condition, long continued, especially if the cold be acorn- 
panied by rapidly moving currents of air, effectually drives all moisture from 
the tree, and so compacts the wood, that the tree is wholly, or partially de¬ 
stroyed. That injury does not result to all trees alike, is very evident. 
While one maybe constitutionally fitted to endure severe freezing, another 
is destroyed by comparatively slight cold. One from its peculiar cellular 
structure resumes its functions when the adversve influences cease to act 
upon it; while the other loses all power of recovery, is rendered unsightly, by 
disease, or dies outright. That extreme cold is a principal cause of injury 
must be apparent from the fact, that the greatest injuries to our orchards, 
have always been produced by a winter of severest cold. 
Another injury resulting from severe freezing, is the opening of the fis¬ 
sures through the body of a tree, extending frequently its entire length. 
When the cold is most severe, the opening is large enough to admit one’s 
finger, thereby, exposing the heart of the trees to that drying process of 
freezing. Fissures are also made between the branch and body, where the 
union between trunk and branch is imperfect. This bursting of the body is 
not confined to fruit trees alone ; the oak, and many other forest trees are 
ruptured in the same manner and from the same cause. It seems to result in 
no permanent injury to them, neither does it to most of our hardy apple 
trees; while those more tender are badly injured, and not unfrequently de- 
