The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1894-06-07
THR BLIZZARD.

. On Sunday, March 25th. the weather
was warm-minimum temperature 43
degrees-culminating in a shower (4S
| 1nch) IN afternoon. After the shower
it became perceptibly colder, the wind
rising at the same time IN. W.; but
not until p. m. was there any indica-
ton of the terrible freeze that followed.
Monday morning everything was
frozen hard and fast; ice in shallow
vessels several inches thick-one inch
on barrels; mercury 81 dogs. During
the day q maximum of 80 deg was
reached, but did not thaw in shade.
Next day, Tuesday, mercury fell to 10
deg. with maximum of A deg. We'd
deg. Light rain of .O2 inch. Thursday
! minimum was SO deg. and thaw com
| plete. This ended the blizzard.
EFFECTS.
At first these were terrible to con-
template; hope sank on even a partial
realization of the apparent damage.
Everything in the way of vegetation
appeared utterly destroyed. Leaves
hung wilted like wet rags from every
limb, and recuperation seemed impossi-
| BILE.
After the first few days things APP
| peared even worse, if possible, than at
f, the first examination, and the damage
was apparently much more disastrous
than originally apprehendeo. This
| state of affairs lasted well into April
Day after day passed, and no recupera
| ton was visible. OF course the fruit
crop was at once given up as lost, and
the public would have gladly compro-
missed on guaranty that the trees
| themselves were intact. Grave fears
were entertained for the very existence
of the forests, and dismay reigned
| everywhere for weeks.
| Gradually, however a change became
! apparent, more and more manifest as
the time passed, and courage again re-
| vived. Rains occurred on the Atm, 10Th,
and 10Th, of April, followed by heavy
J gales Of wind, especially after the rain
fall of the 10Th, (.s4 inch) after which
no rain fell until May 14th, the severe
winds and protracted drouth greatly
retarding the advancement OF yegeta-
ton, and exaggerating the adverse con-
| dltlOnS to the utmost. Nevertheless
| revival was steady and progressive.
Separate notes are appended ON the
! different divisions of vegetation as
| changes became apparent from the
| first disaster to the middle of May, by
which time the full effects of the freeze
| were judged to be manifest.
| FORESTS.
| March 9th, every leaf parched as bv
a sirocco. Catkins and the pendent
blossoms of the different oaks remained
| stiff ard stark, blown like tresses to-
wards the southeast, while soft and
pliable, and frozen in this position
| For weeks, until they dropped off, they
they remained pointing stiffiy south
east.
By the middle OF Aprl; 40 change
was observable in any trees that had
| leafed before the freeze; late leating
varieties putting out feebly meanwhile.
| By May LIST, many had recovered, but
certain post oaks, red oaks and black
oaks were still unresponsive. BY May
| 10th, all showed signs of revival, and
! by May 18th. only red and black oaks,
with here and there post oak, appear
to have been seriously checked. Many
of these have been permanently Grip
| pied, but none killed outright, unless
| they succumb later in the season.
Certain hickories and persimmons
have been also hurt, and black gums
slightly So Damage to forests is there
fore practically very slight. Another
year will probably hide it all, although
considerable topping and cutting in
may prove advisable in groves.
| ORNAMENTAL TREES AND SHRUBS.
These naturally suffered more than
their more hardy brethren of the for
est. A fine avenue of Balm of
| Gilead, averaging eight feet, set
! out in January and in full leaf,
was either killed outright or SO badly
| injured as to necessitate removal.
| So with an avenue of LON hardy Pop
lars-the latter not hurt SO badly, per-
haps, though equally as advanced. An
avenue of young European White
! Birch, though in nearly full leaf, was
not materially hurt. Young Sycamores
badly hurt; Weeping Willows killed to
the root; Weeping Birch (Betula alba
! lac niata) also seriously, if not per-
! manently injured. Naples of all vari-
cites unhurt. Umbrella Chinas killed
back to the main trunk, necessitating
topping and close trimming. Prunus
| Pissardii (red leafed Japan plum shows
| the most remarkable recovery; these
were in full leaf and apparently killed
to the roots. The alburnum perfectly
black and recovery apparently an inn
possibility Yet in three weeks they
were looking as well rs ever. This
shows that the commonly received inn
| preston that the tree is doomed when
the alburnum turns black, is popular
fallacy.
| ITlNeU HeNBeS dppedIel hAlLcu W tlS
| main trunk, but after trimming put
out again, and now seem little the
worse. SO also with Marianne plum
hedges. Euonymus, however. has been
very seriously injured; probably cut
| ting it down to the root will still prove
| the wisest treatment.
Roses at first appeared gone, but
their recovery is almost complete. Lit
tie damage appears done them except
the loss of this springs flowers. They
are now MAY l5th) looking quite NICE
ly.
FRUIT TREES.
Peaches-No old trees, except those
, budded on Mariana stock have been
permanently injured. Many young
trees just planted have been killed or
injured. For instance, Lady Ingold
was killed outright; Spottswood badly
injured; Elberta and Pineappleiless SO,
and OldSixon Free not at all. Among
i the old trees Reeves FaVOrite seems to