Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-01-21
orange Trees and the Cold Weather.

orange TIeeS ana the So1u HSdtnei'
Upon examination it will be found that the
cold weather has not yet done any material
damage to the orange trees in the central and
northern parts of the State SO far this season.
This fact reminds US of the statement made
public not long since by Mr.. Gerrish, of this
city. that the heretofore generally accepted
theory that irrigation Of the orange late In
the summer or early iu the fall causes the tree
TO continue to throw out new and tender
wood and thus expose it to danger from
frost is erroneous. Mr.. GerIish maintains
that the more vigorous the growth of an ever
green tree at the time of frost. the less danger
Of injury from frost. and that an orange that
is suffering from want of irrigation, and is
therefore IL weak or sickly condition, is the
first one to feel the injury from a low tenn
perature. Or to state his proposition in an
other form: if frost comes early in the
season, and before the rains have dampened
the soil, then the evergreen tree, being suffer
iHg from want of water to keep up vigorous
circulation of the sap, is much more likely TO
receive injury than if the same low tempera-
ground has been saturated with rains. MIR.
B. 3. Redding, a few years since, published
q statement of his experience in the Gull
tivation of the orange and lemon in the
vicinity of Sacramento, and among other
things that statement was to the effect that
he had irrigated his trees too late in the
season, and that es consequence they had
been quite severely Injured by frost that
occurred while the trees were growing rapid
ly, Induced by such irrigation. As con-
ciusion from such experience, Mr.. Bedding
concluded and recommended that orange
and lemon trees should not be irrigated
later in any season than August He
meintsined that the trees should have tina
to harden up all the wood of the
current year before they were likely to be ex-
posed to freezing weather. Mr. Gerrish has
been experimenting OF this same point for q
number of years, and has come to the op-
ID site conclus;0n-thab is to say, that orange
and lemon trees should be irrigatedin in the lat
ter part of summer and fsll to keep them in
a vigorous growing condition, and that in this
condition they viii resist injury from frost
better than when their growth Is checked
from want Of water. AS TO deciduous trees,
the theory of MIR Reddiug is undoubtedly
the true one, ard is confirmed by the general
opinion of horticulturists. At first thought it
would seem that evergreen trees would
be affected IN the same manner as deciduous |
that il, that the tender growing shoots |
would be frozsn and killed at a temperature |
that would not iniure the older and well ma |
tured parts of the tree. But we must admit |
that the facts seem to be in favor OF Mr.. |
Gerrish's observations. We believe that it is |
fact that when orange trees have been most |
injured in this vicinity that frost has come |
upon them before any considerable rain |
has fallen, and that in the seasons when the |
coldest weather has not occurred till after CO. |
pious fall rains, no injury has been done by |
the frost. A determination Of this question |
Is Of Importance, and we would like state |:
ments Of experiences by those who have had |
eyperienca 10 the premises