Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-07
FROSTED But SAFE.
Hopes of Big Fruit Crop Bright in
Spite of Cold Weather.
MORE BLOOM NOW THAN Is NEEDED
Foliage Affords Sufficient Protection to
Defy Even Snow.
BURSTS OF SUNSHINE PROMISED TO-BAI

Well, up to 4:40 P. M. Yesterday the fruit
bloom in this section was still in good
condition, notwithstanding dire predic-
tious and gloomy forebodinEs on the part Of
even people of large experience. Squire
Robert h. Wilson, of Leetsdale, who of late
years has devoted as much attention TO fruit
culture as he has to banking, made a
thorough investigation, and he states that
if all the blossoms that are yet uniuj ured
come to maturity it will be necessary to
prop the branches of the trees or ease them
of part of their load in some other way,
else they will break. He states the bloom
has reached that state of development that
only fierce black frost will hurt it, these
dry, white ones having no effect
whatever though had they come a
week ago during time of wet
weather, the result would have been serious.
cherries and pears as well as apples and
found them all in good shape
Still Hopes of Big Grape Crop.
Mrs. Brenn, of Ewing's Mills. said she
feared her grapes were all destroyed, but
Mr.. John Arrass states that grapes are ire
quenlly destroyed in spots only by frost and
it might be that in some localities they are
killed, while in Others few rods distant,
they NAV be all right Mrs. Brenn's vIne-
ward is in a deep hollow, where frost strikes
severely Mr.. Arrass stated that he had
examined cherries and found them in good
shape. He states that when the bloom OF a
cherry decays it forms dry envelope which
protects the embryo so long as the covering re-
mains and il is still intact 1t might be added
that the foliage is now SO advanced that
40 ARA
also states that experience has proven that
cool, even rather cold weather, is necessary
during blooming season to make perfect crop
of apples. If person of middle age who has
lived in The country Will tax his memory he Will
discover that such weather as this has not been
uncommon in May. People in TINS latitude
have often been stopped IN corn planting by
snow storm.
A reporter of this paper walked about five
miles across the country yesterday morning ex-
amIniug each orchard he passed, some above
the coal aud others as low as the river banks.
He found small percentage of apple bloom
destroyed in every orchard ne saw,
people fear peaches are injured, while
others think them all right Some also
expressed the apprehension that SO much
chilling while II does not kill the bloom. may
cause the fruit TO tall later in the season. while
Others scout the idea and say that all the frost
ings so lar has been merely beneficial.
Warm Weather Is Promised at Last
There was no frost night before last. Soon
after nlghIfall the sky was overcast; the wind
arose ald blew where 1t listed and with such
force as TO blow away frost. After a slight
sprinkle OF rain there was a light fail OF snow,
which whitened the hilltops. This settled all
Apprehension of damage from Wednesday
nights weather. signal Service indications
puini ed To a light frcst last night with higher
temperature for to-day, and the wind began
shifting from the North about noon. In the
West the temperature did not fall below 500
and there was a considerable rainfall in East
ern Ohio.
The '-unatics" seemed to be divided in
opinion. Most of them say frost in the light
of The moon is not likely to do much harm, but
some of the opposition school are COM
tortinR themselves with the reflection that the
present heavy trosts are comparatively harm
less on account of their falling in the light of
the moon. IL might be a good idea to have an
ecumencal council to settle this question. The
frosty sons of thunder among The Pennsyl-
rania Dutch in Somerset and other mountain
counties In years gone by protected their
orchards from frosts by storing piles of litter
of various kinds under the trees during the |
day, and on clear. frosty mornings. about s
o'clock, they would arise and light them. caus-
Ing dense smoke which warded off the dan
ger. II is not costly preventive and might be
adopted with proft in all parts of the country.