Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1856-11-12
Correspondence of the Michigan Farmer.

cherries are either entirely dead, orso serious
ly affected as to insure speedy decay; as any
injury to the body or larger limbs is usually
followed by the issuing Of gum; and that, in
its turn, by decay. and death. Almost the
only exceptions are the very Young trees,
which have generally escaped, as well as the
Dukes OF Morellos.
The few specimens of early Purple Guigne
and Bauman's May, ripened from the 18th
to the 5th Of June--nearly two weeks la
ter than usual.
The past two years experience would
seem to indicate that the sweet cherries are
less hardy on light than heavy soils; and
that the most rapid growers are the fist to
suffer.
AS we can hardly anticipate that such Sc
we're winters will occur often, it may be worth
while to try them farther with dry heavy soil,
full exposure, low heads, and moderate,
growth. 1t is also probable that they would
succeed well rs dwarfs upon Mahaleb stocks
PLuMs have suffered even more severely
than cherries. The premature falling of the
leaf aggravated apparently by the unusual
wetness of the season, left the trees, last au-
tumn, so much weakened as to be unable to
withstand the severe and long continued
frost of the past winter; and the conse-
quence is that large share of them are dead
to the root, and many Of them root and
branch.
Some trees, standing in strong and well
manured soil, escaped the leaf blight, and
also the wiuter cherry plum, which seldom
bears fruit and always retains its leaves
comes out perfectly unscathed. The yellow
egg, which retains its leaves, also survives
One tree of green gage, well MANFRED, re-
tanned its leaves, and passed the winter safe
ly; while others in the same row, unmanur-
ed dropped their leaves and are dead
PEACHES, in consequence of the wet
weather of hast season, and the severe short
ming in of the previous winter continued
their growth till late in the fall and, in con-
sequence, encountered the past unhcard of
winter with the Young wood but very i'm
perfectly rpened The result is, that large
portion, (perhaps one half or more,) of the
trees are dead; while many of the remain
der are hardly worth saving.
The idea is entertained by many, that bud
ded trees are less hardy than seedlings, but
observation in this vicinity, where in many
cases they may be found intewperscd in the
same orchard, fails to detect any such differ
ence.
PEARs.-On the opening of spring the
bark and young wood of pear trees was
found discolored to such an extent as to in
duce grave fears that they would not be able
to recover--fears which, in too many cases,
have been realized.
The wet weather Of the preceding sum
mer, and the consequent rampant growth Of
the trees, doubtless contributed Gas in the
case of peaches, to the fatality Of the win
ter; accordingly, we observe that, generally,
the most rapid growers have suffered most
severely
In an orchard of about two hundred stand
ards, one-tenth are dead to the root, and
some of them root and branch. The COM
mon varieties that have suffered most, are
Bartlett and Madeline.
APPLES were considered so perfectly har-
dy here, that the fact of their having suffer
ed in common with Others has taken us alto
gether with surprise.
1t has been long urged by fruit growers
upon the rich and bleak prailies of Illinois,
that root-grafted trees are less hardy than
seedlings; but never, till the present season,
have we, in this region, witnessed ocular
proof to that effect From the result of the
present years experience, it is also clear that
some varieties are less hardy than Others, fol
while root-grafted trees Of some varieties
have suffered severely, top grated trees OF
those varieties have escaped entirely. This
difference is however, more observed with
the younger class Of trees.
On young trees the injury is produced at.
or Immediately above the surface of the
ground; where spot of dead bark appears
extending partially, and sometimes wholly,
around the tree; while on older trees the re-
suit is oftener manifested in a general debili-
ty, or in the death of part or the whole OF
the top, which on close examination will usu-
ally be found to have originated at or near
the base of the trunk
A strange circumstance in connection with
this matter is, that the two varieties that ap
pear to have suffered most severely from this
catastrophe, are both of hyperborean New
England; where such winters are supposed
to be no uncommon circumstance. Those
varieties are Roxbury Russell, and Baldwin.
Esopus Spitzcnburg and early Strawberry
have also suffered severely, while most Others
have escana,l antirolo N n 7 vor