, 1858-08-13
From the Oregon Farmer.
Sun-StrOkei or CauSe Of Fruit Tres Dying

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From the Oregon Farmer.
Sun-StrOke; or Cause Of Fruit Tres Dying.
SALEM, June, 1858.
Ed. FARMER-As many fruit trees have
been killed this season--maDy inquiries
have been and are still being made every
day,-such as, What killed themi HotO
were they killed Was It the tOss or the
cold? Was II the frost this spring, or the
saOlO and cold raini Aye, and . hundred
more, which shall not attempt to answer,
But "will give mine own opinion" with
my experience shall speak for myself
and no one else. shall give my own ex-
perience and not that Of others Let 9TH
ers speak, and while speaking, 1 will listen
give their experience, and l will profit
by It, Ny opinion is, that the sudden
change IN the ioeatheT In winter and spring,
are the main eaasss Of Fruittreo killing
Too much manure, too high and too latsa
cultivation, are, often, causes Of decay and
even death Of trees. Too much manure
forces the tree, makes its wood soft and
spongy; the pith large and yellow; and
makes the wood succulent, and preventsu
the maturing and hardening Of the weed
before frost; aud in this tender state, trees
are frosted, killed but show no sign Of
injury till the warm spring sun devolopesit.
Too late culture has an almost similar effect.
Then to the point:--Is not a tree highly
manured-highly cultivated and eften cul,
tivated, pery late, tool ask, is not such q
tree tender? Aud is a tender tree capable
Of withstanding very sudden changesl Is
tender tree, fought Certainly not Then
the point is gained. And, again, digging
deep holes in wet land and setting the trees,
in them, in this cold, rainy country, Is
death, for these holes are absolutely filbs
to hold the cold water around the roots Of
the trees, aud makes them soft, tender
turns them blue, siekens, kills them.
Who would set his tree in q tnb Of water
to growf II a soil Is open, porous, stony
or sandy, It win do to dig deep holes; but
never in cold, stif, clay land Beware Of
Too much manurel Beware Of too mhch and
TOO LATE cultivationl Beware Of dep hoissi
Trees should be set on the TOP OF surface Of
the ground, not in holeS,) and then ploW
to them.
The trees mostly killed in orchards, are
those With high heads and naked bodies.--
Those that have low heads are seldom In
jured; and those, the limbs Of which, come
out near the ground are seldom hurt, and
few Of them have been killed. Whyf Be
cause, lOw-hesded, limby trees consume an
the sap the roots can form, and having So
many leaves, II is well elaborated ;-tho
wood is firm, and the whole tree tough
the hot sun eau not scorch, or, as We say,
scdld them, and this Is an important mat
ter. Go inte any orchard you choose and
you will see that the South side Of the trees
arc very badly scalded-ths East slightly.
the West little, and the North meme
Then i wds ne saai Yes, the hot sun
scalded them while in very tender state.
The hot sun was too Early IN the SEASON.
the trees were not prepared for snch heat
and the result was, q general M sfrolri ~.
Had oil trees beon loW-headsd and
bushy, l do not believe there would have
been such destruction among orchnrdsf Cor,
know from experience, that loH-headed,
limby trees, are tougher than high-headed
and scantily limbed ones The limbs pro-
tect the body from both cold and heat.
The limbs divide and cut up the rays ofthe
sun huu tuua ploNcCA tuo AVNIa 4 AMoIo-
fore conclude, that limbs coming out nany
the ground, are the best in every sense Il
the word, A ,,... 7, -. ~
Trees on cold land we're not 50 badly In
jured as those on warm, because. the sap
was not 80 far advancsd-and In conse-
quence, the trees less tender. The warm
weather in early spring caused CORES.
ponding early flow Of sap--then the snow
then The cold rain, with very cold nights,
chiIled-irosted thom; corfoding their sap;
poisoning their circulation; aud while yet
In this very critical state the hof sun PouIn5
his seiOrasiHg rags upon them-thsy paisa
DIED.
But enough. The following are the re-
snlt Of hdrd-earAed experience: Mantrs ~
diciOHsly! CHltipafs ioell, but EEvEn LkTEl
Make your orchard on high, dry land.
Make loic headed, bushy trees. Set out
only the hardest and best kinds. Never
dig deep holes or tabs for your trees. Do
more and talk less,-and finally, aprinsus
more and more, and iorifs bat lifk In
another letter will say something of The
hardest and best kinds
A. F. DAVIDSON.