The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-04-26
MOUNTAIN CLIMATES AND PRODUC.
TIoNS IN NORTH CAROLINA.
From the National Intelligencer.

sessng more or less interest to those who may wish
to make further Investigations
Mount Tryon, in Rutherford county, has long
been celebrated for its exemption from killing
frosts, and believed Every enormously, however,
to be anomaly in this respect. More recently
other points of the mountain ranges have been
quite enormously represented as entirely free
from dew or frost, even by men of some preensions
to science A very pleasant and intelligent writer
in the August and November numbers of the
North Carolina Planter has furnished some inter-
esting particulars in regard to the mountains of
that section in connection with the subject of fruit
culture and "the genial influences Of the thermal
stratum" in the preservation of the most tender
plants Still he does not correct the common Err
by stating simply that "above the wellde6ned
outline of this stratum on the mountain sides frost
abruptly ceases" In placing the frost line at an
elevation of three hundred feet he is too indefinite
as that height gauge will not apply to many
valleys of rolling and uneven surface; while the
surface of the heavy dew and frost stratum repre-
sents plain, level or nearly so, in each valley
basin, though differing greatly in comparative eleva
tion in different valleys. These valleys often
separated on the same streams by abrupt descents,
and divided by ranges spurs from the
higher ranges of mountains These his CHER ranges
are mainly and in some instances entirely above
the plane of killing frosts, and in some highly
favored localities includes some of the adjacent
fiat lands also, while the deeper and more central
portions of the valleys may be more than three
hundred feet below this plane Within the limits
of Watauga county, North Carolina, are embraced
some of the extreme head-waters of the Ohio,
Tennessee, Santee, and Pedee Rivers, watering
beautiful and fertile valleys, confined more less
by surrounding high mountains. The dew is
very heavy, and the outline of killing fosts we'll
defined in valleys on the same streams below,
though differing in each situation 500 to 1000 feet.
The level of killing fross in each situation is very
nearly the same in all instances and in different
years
About the Goth of August 1857, [ witnessed
we'll defined outlines of killing frost along the sop-
ing hills and valleys of western New York; and at
different points along the Allegheny and Cunlber-
land ranges in Virginia, Tennessee the Caulinas
and Georgia, but more accurately on the 18th of
April, 1S49; about the Goth of May, 1852; on the
2Sth of April, and in the fall of 1857, and spring
of 1858.
The same effects of frost are said to influence
the growth and maturity of grapes on some of the
European mountains, and | suppose is common to
most if not all mountains. This warm stratum
covers, suppose the greater part of the earth at
a small elevation above its surface. The area of
lands, however, that lie within this genial cline,
and fit for cultivation is very limited and to citi-
zens of the broad and extended belt of country be-
tween the Atlantic coast and the Blue Ridge, the
South and Brushy mountains, (and some other iso-
lated points, are destined to become places of in
creasing interest and value. In the hands of in
telligent fruit growers it would be charming in
deed So well defined the outline of killing
frost along the base of these mountains after the
frost of the 10th of April, 1849 that all above to
their SUBMITS, extending some ninety to one hun
dred miles, were in the brightest and sreenest
robe that the half-grown leaves and tendrils could
give, and presented strange contrast to the broad
and blackened plains below, extending north and
west to the Blue Ridge and eastward to the pine
lands in the middle portions of the State In the
autumn of 1857, when the corn and other vegeta-
ton was killed in Lincoln, Iredell, and other
counties below, there were cornfelds these
mountains, and even above the high valleys al
luded to in Watagua county, left perfectly green
and unstained by the frost. Later, however, frost
was seen as usual on the high lands, even to the
SUBMITS of high mountains; (lightest, however, on
the highest points.) Long after killing frost be-
low have corn cotton, field peas pepper
tomatoes and watermelon vines continue green,
most of them blooming fresh and some of them
growing luxuriantly. This warm cline is sought
especially at this green season, by birds and ami
mails, and the sensitive deer is then sought for in
hunters phrase, on the high ridges. Some ten
der persons residing here complain of chill on 60
ing below. Here, too, apples, peaches, and the
more delicate fruits grow in greatest perfection,
ana are rarely known to be injured by trOsts.
l have eaten the northern and low country fruits,
both in the Northern and Southern markets, and
feel assured, by comparison that the fruits of the
Brushy and South Mountains will ripen in greater
perfection than in the more northern ATTITUDES,
the low country or the high Allegheny Mountains.
Next in quality suppose will be the Southwestern
portions of the Allegheny and Cumberland Noun
tains
On the 9th of January, two years ago, and now
Gas | witnessed few days ago. in some orchards
on the Brushy Mountains, the ground was cover
ed with as fine apples as l ever saw, and many
trees almost breaking with the weight of the fruit;
and these orchards had not been trimmed or cult
waited for ten or fifteen years. This fruit but
slightly injured by frost; and | was told that
harder freeze would only make it better for pres
ent use. The varieties below, with less
aroma and saccarhne, have been rotted long since
Other tests, too, have shown the marked superiori-
ty of these fruits
Upon the cereals the effect of this warm, drv
atmosphere is not less marked and significant and
may by further investigation be productive of some
practical results Rust here is scarcely ever seen,
and notwithstanding its general prevalence and de-
structive effects throughout the Atlantic and
Western States upon the harvests of last year. the
wheat and oats on the Brushy Mountains, and also
upon the high mountains of Watauga, were of
superior quality, and the straw remarkably bright
and clean, as may now be seen.
Whether science has or has not fully developed
and explained all that is useful and curious in
these phenomena, it is desirable at least that the