Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-03-01
What Makes q Tree "Hardyv?


Democrats Magazine.
What Makes Tree "Hardy"l
As he travels northward the student of
forestry soon notices a decrease in the num-
Der of tree species. Beginning in southern
New England he misses first the chestnut,
and then the hickory. The horse chestnut,
the button-wood, and fiually the locust, dis
appear as he nears the Canada line, or are
found sparingly only in the low valley of
Lake Champlain, aud of the Sorel river,
flowing from the lake to the St. Lawrence.
Some of these trees are found in the upper
St. Lawrence valley, but as we rise into the
hill country they disappear. Birches and
dainty with the naples, while elms and
beeches become less and less numerous, and
the black growth of spruces, pines and
frs becomes more conspicuous to the eye.
The pomologist notices the same change
in regard to tree fruits. Both species and
varieties lessen in number. The peach aud
the ounce do not 60 far into Vermont, and
are found in New Hampshire and Maine
only in near vicinity to the sea. The pears,
the cherries, the plums and the mulberries
thin out rapidly; and the apple orchards,
where found, are composed more and more
of unfamiliar varieties.
Fourteen years experience in attempting
the culture of tree fruits among the noun
tains of northern Vermont, succeeding a
much longer experience in the same line
under more favorable climatic conditions,
have made the question at the head of this
article one Of practical Importance to us,
and we have studied it carefully. First let
us say what does not, in tree, affect its
power of resistance against severe freezing.
Not hardness Of the rood. Starting from
au observation of the remarkable closeness
of grain and frmness of texture noticed in
the Siberian crab, one is at first disposed to
think that varieties showing this popularity
will prove more hardy than soft-wooded
kinds. Experience does not sustain this
view. Time and again we have been dis.
appointed in trials of varieties attracting
our attention by this popularity; while ex
perience has shown that some very soft
wooded sorts offer strong resistance to the
| action of frost.
| Not alDdys early maturity Of The GOOD
Many sorts that make their growth and form
their terminal buds early in the season art
still not "hardy." Some sorts that continue
growing until arrested by severe frost, though
they may "kill back" in the immature
growth, are yet able to resist the severes
winters without other injury. Nevertheless
most fruittrees Of northern origin art
adapted to the short seasons of their zone il
this respect.
Not slowness of growh. Some of our mos,
rapid growers are our hardest kinds. Slow
ness of growth seems associated mainly will
abundant fruitage, irrespective of hardness
The Plumb's Cider apple, planted along
side Of the Duchess Of Oldenburgh,' will
in the first ten years make four times tn,
growth and bear less than a fourth as much
fruit, with no appreciable difference in har
diness.
The condition of hardness seems to us X
be mainly dependent on the constitution o
the sap, and perhaps also upon the elasticit.
and tenacity to the cell tissue. Useful indi
cations regarding the latter may be found ii
the microscopic structure of the leaf tissue
Professor Budd, who so efficiently fills tn
chair of forestry and horticulture in tn
Iowa Agricultural College, has made SOM
very interesting Investigations in this direc
tion, and he believes that a study of tn
leaves alone is able to give us clue to tn
probable hardness of a particular variety
Here comes in the disputed point whethe
any plant or tree is able to survive the con
plete solidifcation of its sap by cold. S
many difficulties attend the practical solutio
of this problem that we despair of demon
strative proof, either way. But our ow
(provisionaD opinion is that trees do surviv
a complete freezing of the sap in their bodis
and limbs for time, longer or shorter a,
cording to circumstances. We much dout
whether complete freezing of the roots
ever other than fatal, at least 10 apple tree
But we also feel satisfied that in our cimai
trunk and limbs are often frozen solid. TIL
tree is then in condition analogous TO thu
of one dug up for removal. No furthe
supply of moisture can pass upwards int
. the trunk and branches until the ice eu
. barge" is broken, and the only question i
/ how long can the tree stand it2 Cut o
from its roots, the life of the tree depend
upon its retention of a certain quantity
moisture This in turn now depends upc
the evaporation, aud that mainly upon I'll
wind. Here, then, are the factors of hard
ness a. A constitution of the sap whic
y allows of its maintaining at least parti
!. duidity at a low temperature. (2) A te
2 ture Of the tissues which allows of compile
L freezing without fatal rupture. (3) Al
sisting power in the bark and wood again
the evaporative action OF the winds, an
perhaps also a similar resistance in the co
stitution Of the sap.
Under the first factor we have shorter r
re RODS OF that complete freezing which 9
Is tirely arrests the supply of fluid from d
1T roots. Under the second we are protect,
from that kind of winter-killing which
characteriz I'd by darkening of the wood fro
the extravasation of sap from demor
lied cells. Under the third our trees a
" " able TO keep themselves alive for a VIII
p when exposed in frozen state TO the /" bl
% zsrd" that come TO us out OF the southwe
There is degree OF cold (varying wi
the Variety that win kill every tree by mt
freezing, irespectiye Of duration. There