THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
43 
FROST BLISTERS. 
George F. Atkinson, of the botanical department of Cornell 
University, sends the following to National Nurseryman : 
Several times during the present month I have received 
young peach twigs from different parts of the state which 
show, in many cases, small blisters which later dry and col¬ 
lapse, forming i umerous small depressions over the twig 
When the twigs have been injured for several weeks or months j 
the blistered portion is dead and collapsed on account of dry¬ 
ing out. At the same time, the dead area of the blister has 
changed color so that it is much paler than the surrounding 
tissue, nearly white or of a pale dirty yellow, this bordered by a 
darker line next the normal color of the unaffected part of the 
twig. The blisters vary in size from -fa of an inch to or fa of 
an inch in diameter. The larger ones after they have dried 
and collapsed resemble very often a “saddle back.” 
This injury to peach twigs seems to be quite wide spread in 
the state during the present season, and probably has only 
come to notice during the process of pruning the orchard 
The injury to the twigs is very likely the result of severe frost. 
In very cold weather the young succulent twigs are subject to 
freezing. In the freezing of plant tissues, as is well known, in 
the great majority of cases the formation of ice does not take 
place on the inside of the individual cells, but the water is 
drawn from the cells into the intercellular spaces and there 
crystallized into ice. Where a sufficient amount of water is 
thus drawn from several neighboring cells, forming a rather 
large ice crystal between the cells, it forces the cells apart at 
this point and thus raises an area of greater or less extent upon 
the surface in the form of a blister. The individual cells 
themselves are not torn, but a large number of them are torn 
away from the cells which lie underneath them. There is 
thus left a more or less extensive crevice underneath the bark 
which separates the outer layers of cells from the inner ones 
and results in the drying out and death or the outer layer of 
cells which were blistered. 
The present winter seems to have been a favorable season 
for the production of these frost blisters, there having been 
several periods of quite cold weather. It is possible also that 
the summer and autumn seasons with the sudden opening of 
winter in December may have also contributed to this same 
result. Abundant rains produced vigorous growth of the 
twigs, so that they were probably quite succulent in the 
autumn and perhaps did not mature as fully as they would 
had the season been drier. This would leave a great amount 
of water in the tissues and the twigs would be more liable to 
injury as the result of freezing. 
In the instances which have come to rny notice this season, 
there is no direct proof that the injury is the result of frost 
blisters, but it seems very likely to be the case. It would be 
well if orchardists could give more attention to this subject in 
the future and note at what season of the year these blisters 
first appear. Many of the twigs which have been received 
were so badly injured that the entire twig had lost nearly all 
of its water by drying out, and probably would not have put 
forth leaves in the spring. A careful observance of the 
orchard with the approach of cold weather would prob¬ 
ably throw considerable light upon this question. Frost 
blisters are not uncommon on the twigs of apple, pear, peach 
trees, etc. 
THE PERFECTION CURRANT. 
The Perfection currant is the fruit that won the first Barry 
medal of the Western New York Horticultural Society, a gold 
medal worth $ 50 . This new fruit was originated by C. G. 
Hooker of the firm of C. M. Hooker & Sons, nurserymen, 
Rochester, N. Y. The following description was furnished 
Mr. Hooker by Prof. S. A. Beach, horticulturist, of the New 
York State Agricultural Experiment Station at Geneva : 
“Cuttings of the Perfection currant were furnished the Ex¬ 
periment Station at Geneva, in 1897 , for testing. The plants 
have made a moderately strong growth. Although they have 
not yet reached full size or mature habit of growth they are 
very productive. In form of bush, health and vigor of fol¬ 
iage, the Perfection is intermediate between its parents, Fay 
and White Grape. The fruit is borne along the old wood, 
much like that of the White Grape. On the average, the size 
of cluster and size of berry both exceed that of the Fay, and 
so far as I know equal that of any variety which has yet been 
disseminated. The fruit is usually uniformly large at the tip 
of the cluster. Its largest berries are fully equal to the largest 
of the Comet. While, on the average, its fruit is not quite so 
large as that of the Comet, its clusters average longer. The 
pulp is less seedy, and considerably better in quality. The 
stem of the cluster is free from berries near its attachment to 
the plant, thus making it easy to pick. The color is a good 
red, somewhat lighter than the Fay. In flavor and quality, I 
consider it distinctly better than Fay or Cherry. In fact, I 
do not know of any other large currant in cultivation that is 
its equal in this respect. It ripens about with Fay and Cherry. 
Taking all things into consideration, I do not hesitate to pro¬ 
nounce it a most exceWent variety for either home use or 
market.” 
In 1889 the late Patrick Barry, at that time president of the 
Western New York Horticultural Society, donated $ 2,000 to 
found a permanent fund to promote the objects of the society. 
This donation was subsequently added to by others and con¬ 
stitutes the present permanent fund. In 1891 , at the sugges¬ 
tion of the executive committee, it was decided to offer a gold 
medal, suitably inscribed, which should cost not less than $ 50 , 
to be called the Barry medal of the Western New York Horti¬ 
cultural Society. This medal to be awarded to the originator 
of any new fruit, ornamental tree, shrub, flowering plant, or 
vegetable, which should be considered worthy of it by the 
committee on this prize. It being required that any fruit, etc., 
to be eligible to compete for this prize should not have been 
disseminated previous to its being entered, and no award to be 
made under three years from time of entry; it being under¬ 
stood that this medal should be awarded only to new varieties 
of the highest e t, after being thoroughly tested. The 
Perfection currant was also awarded the medal and diploma 
of the Pan-America Exposition, the highest award given any 
new fruit. __ 
BEST JOURNAL FOR ALL NURSERYMEN. 
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year’s subscription. I do not feel I could do without the National 
Nurseryman, as it is not only a fine advertising medium but it is the 
best journal for all the nurserymen, in my judgment, that has been 
published.” _ 
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