THE WISOONSIN FARMER.



              Winter willing.
  Frost Blight-Bark Bursting-Frozen Sap
Blight.-The injury which trees and plants re-
ceive from the sudden changes of temperature,
in all latitudes where frost prevails, is one
which, above all other troubles of the horticul-
turist, stands pre-eminent, the dread barrier in
the way of unlimited propagation.
  Especially in the west has the horticulturist
had to contend with climatic changes unusual
in the Eastern States, and been led to the most
careful examination into the cause and remedy.
Indeed, so far has this gone that Western fruit
growers have generally concluded to " set up
for themselves " in the way of theory and
practice, especially in the matter of location,
and varieties suitable for this climate.
  We say this is wise; for though we would
profit by the long experience of the Eastern
fraternity. is has come short of reaching our
case, especially in pointing out the remedies
available by us.



But Western experience, we think, has fully



demonstrated to the people the way of complete
succees in fruit growing, and we already see the
enterprising farmers of the northwest planting
immense numbers of trees, confident of enjoy-
ing the fruit thereof.
  The various phases of disease caused by the
sudden transition from heat to cold, commonly
called " winter killing," may all be classed un-
der the above heads, and we will speak of them
briefly.
  1. Frost Blight-Death of the young and
tender wood and foliage, not ripened or hard-
ened by maturity sufficient to resist the effects
of frost.
  Occurs any time of the year, but most fre-
quently in autumn and late spring; effects ten-
der plants of all kinds, especially the tender
tips of late growth in autumn. It is produc-
tive of no material damage only so far as it
extends; as, for example, the frost-bitten corn
when just out of the ground, and the frost-bit-
ten tip ends in the nursery. The part affected
soon dries up and no circulation corrupts the
balance of the tree or plant



  2. Bark Burstang.-Another, and more seri-
ous form of injury, is a longitudinal opening
or bursting of the bark of the sappy trunk of
young trees at the ground, and extending up-
wards, sometimes to the first branches.
  In the nursery it generally appears a rupture
of one inch or less, at the surface of the ground,
and the bark is separated more or less on each
side, sometimes extending clear round the
trunk, and with more than one crack. The
injury corresponds with the extent of this dis-
barking.  Cause, hard freezing when full of
sap.
  In large trees, when this bursting extends
upward considerably, it always occurs on the
sunny side of the trunk, and generally a crack
clear into the wood can be observed when ac-
tually frozen, as any one can see by observing
their injured trees early in the frosty morning,
and the same crack can be seen in old decayed
trees injured years since.
  This form of bark-bursting and frost-crack-
ing occurs most frequently during coid nights



following the warm days of February and



March, in those soft-wooded varieties which do
not fully mature their wood in this latitude,
and most frequently on the sunny side of the
hill or grove where the bright sun shines full
upon the trunk, and no equalizing winds are
blowing from the northwest.
  The bark is often lifted on each side of this
erack and this forms a sort of reservoir for the
flowing sap of spring, which there stagnates,
sours, decays, and forms the natural home of
the grub or borer, that variety which preys
only upon diseased wood and sap.
  3. Frozen Sap Blgkt.-This form of disease
is the most destructive in its results of any of
the clanss.  It is most frequently seen in
young orchard trees of those varieties named
as soft-wooded or sappy, as the R. I. Greening.
Roxbury Russet, Baldwin, &c., &c., also the
peach, some varieties of the pear, the quince,
and many roees and ornamental shrubs.
  It in caused by a sudden and severe freeze
following a warm term in autumn, while the
sep is yet abundant in the trunk of the tree.
It does 3et cause bark bursting or cracking,



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