, 1864-01-23

/ )
cd in Its pathway every blossom brd Of th
peach, the apricot and the nectarine, from til
northern limits Of this point, sonthward, bt
yond the limits Of the State Of Tennessee,
not far into the States South. Never, with
the history Of the West, has there been sue
wide spread disaster-neyer such far es
tended wave Of Arctic cold.
Near this station the peach orchards NUN
ber not less than 50, 900 trees; at Mackinae
seyen miles north, about the same number
and at Anna, Eeyen miles south, some &C, 600
making, within twenty miles, 10000 trees
These are worth, including the land AM
buildings, nearly or quite half million O
dollars, IN Investment thut has been mad
mostly within the. past SIX years, and whic1
would haye been quadrupled in the next tw<
years. That the trees are seriously injured
| all admit; but 1t is difficult to Judge Of tht
rcal damage to peach tree By the dfscolora
| tion Of the bark. All are more or less in
jurcd, md many Of the large trees that TX
hare examined ere dead to a certainty, VIZ
should not be surprised to find most Of then
killed outright, while, at best, they will bt
two or three years in recovering, and will II
no even tmake good orchards. It will require
twenty-five Thousand dollars to replace these
orchards with nursery trees, to saw nothinr
Of 1he labor for four or Iyc years to bring
them into good bearing condition. This
twenty miles, but 1t is well known that there
ere large orchards, stretching from Pulaski
| Station Us far north as Mattoou.
But to get the trees to replace these Or
chards, is the question, as the nurseys have
been exhausted. If the stock aud those bud
| dcd the last season arc involved in the gem
eral disaster. tits probable some Of them
will he saved, where snow lodged am onc the
| trees Of sufficient depth to cover the buds.
| Unless the Michigan orchards hare been
| more fortunate, the Northwest will be with
out peaches, ut least the present year, and
but email supplies for theSnext two or three
ye0rs.
T. From what VIC have seen and heard. We
hare no doubt that all the blossom buds of
the peach IRE Killed west Of the Alleghnnies,
and at least hundred miles south Of Mem
phif, Tennessee.
The cold at this point on the hills was q
degrees below zero, and 18 degrees in the val
leys.
The peach had become 4 necessity to all
classes Of people, in their ripe state, canned or
dried Last year hundreds OF thousands Of
bushels Of this fruit were grown within the
bounds named, and to cut of this supply for
single year will be . hardship. Verify it
crop Is q public calamity. We have never been
called an alarnlist, yet the above will stast1e
many an owner Of a peach orchard, who is
solaciDg himself with the idea that he may
have at least small crop, but on investga-
ton will find TINT he has hugged delusion.
On our way to this place our enquiries as to
the peach crop Eas answcred-"al killed
North, for SO skural' has stated in the TR1B.
uHE, but Egypt will have peaches enough
Alas for Egypt the destroyer has passed over
ncr I1ch orchards that Ws have so ofteu seen
lnden with luscious fruit
Since our arrival here, We have met the
came answer, but now the excitement is in
tcnce, as we visit orchard after orchard, knife
in hand, and show the truth as 1t exists. We
know that the wood and bark of the peach
can be badly disco1orcd and yet the tree sur
to ~ytyc; let us hope for the best, for even that
is sufficiently unpleasant
THE APPLE.
The carly harvest is the only one in the List
at this point that appears ut all injured, and
On this portion Of the blossom buds appear
sound. The apple crop, to all appearance,
will be an usual one, We have examined 4
large number of varieties, and, with this
single exception, have not found twfs ill.,
jH1ed by the cold. Orchardists at the North
will do well to take look through their
grounds. ...
The trees do not appcar to be injured, but
lie blossom buis are dead
Thus far this crop has been OF no value
here, as the love Of the curcullo for this fruit
has been too great to Withstand his attacks
on 1t, though just now orch0rdi6ts suppose
themselves possessed Of remedy that will
prove effective, but they must wait another
year to give 1t q further tria1.
THE CHERRY.
The blossom buds on the Nay cherry or as
Il IS called In the North part of the State,
Early Richmond, are more than half killed,
but enougb is left to make fair crop, if they
should open US their present appearance indi-
gates. The common Morrcl1o buds arc still
worse injured. On the Duke ard other sweet
cherries scarcely bud Is left The trees are
apparently not seriously injured, especially
the May cherry.
GRAPES.
The grippe crop at this point has thus far
proved failure, on account Of tho rot In
much injured. This may be deceptive, how
ever, and may not show the effect of the cold
until they begin to grow In the spring, but
now the canes look sound.
STRAWBERRIES,
OF course the snow covering that came
with the cold has protected this crop from
harm: The drouth and white grub combined
have injured the prospect, and 1t is estimated
that ut best there can be not more than two
~
VEGETABLES.
Potatoes, apples, and other vegetables are
badly frozen; and their loss will prove seri-
ons Inconvenience Sweet potatoes for seed |
WILL be scarce commodity.
ANOTHER STORM
Yesterday morning was clear and spring. |
like; the enow, which was about four inches |
deep, was rapidly melting, md the roads In |
places became muddy. During the afternoon
it clonded up, and ut seven o'clock 1t began
to snow; great fakes came down, like a |
northern winter, thicker and faster; the wind |
moaned among the hills, and sighed through |
the forest walls, TINT stood but few rods |
from our sleeping room. We never witnessed |
a wilder night, the wind and SNOW beating /
that Of the never-to-be-forgotten Thursday
which closed the old year, and only lacked
its intense cold to make II as fearful. Nor
nave we ever known . greater fall Of snow In |
Tue same length Of time in the deep forests |
OF Northern New York, as fell within the /
past night. The snow is now two feet deep |
on level IN the woods, IN amount in this /
part Of the State Qat- 81 deg. 50 min before |
unknown, to either the Oldest inhabitant. or
his father At this writing 1t is still showing.
We shall mail this letter today. buf if t6e
storm has been Us severe north as here, it will
not reach you in week
Tonight vas'set for crnnd gntheriup> of |
the frpit- gro Tcrs Of this section. numbeTing
some forty blishments, but Of course L |
must be delayed until they can shovel ont a
paEEnge-Way among the deep, gorrcd. narrow
lanes that arc digniticd with the name Of
roads- During the previous storm, thousands
Of hoge, that have mostly been in The
woods, were frozen to death: aud those which
escaped will Lave the prospect Of starving to
death for the want Of food. RUaAf..
- Rurn1ss from Homc-Rurther About
tho Fruit Crop-SxEect Potatoes to he
Sent to Market Throughout tf1e
t.WInter-Tnr1ettcs Of Frufts-Cotton
Growing.
CoBDEE, H., Jan -, 1861,
We met a large number Of the fruit grow.
crs on the evening Of the 18Th. They all
concur7cd In the yiews that We expressed in
our last letter, in regard to the fruit prospect
and the damage TO tho trees. We omitted to
mention that pear trees, both grated and
Seeding, are damaged, and that the fruit is
killed. -.
On further examination, We find the older
peach trees tho most injured, the young or
clnrds in somc cases being but little affected.
It is eaid that there Is never loss without
Eome little gain. In this case, some Of the
Unit growers arc rejoicing that the curculio,
the worst enemy Of the peach, must starvc
out for the want of his faroritc fruit to breed
in. But re apprchcnd TINT this will be about
es futile Is the idea Of shutting up the ports
OF the rebels, and thus starving them out.
Enough Of the vipers will Hve for seed, so
Of the curcplio. they will breed In the apple