The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-02-22
FREEZE KILLED TREES.
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT En-
TERTAINS LITTLE HOPE.
Satisfied That the Destruction of the
Peach Crop Is Complete. Many Or
chardS Killed.


chardS Killed.
ATLANTA, Feb. 90 The state agri
cultural department is in receipt or re-
ports from the fruit belt showing beyond
much doubt that the blizzard has COM
Dletely destroyed the peach crop. Com
missioner Stevens, who has been gat err
ing all the information possible, takes a
very gloomy view of the situation. AS
soon as he gets his reports all in hand
he will issue bulletin showing the de-
VISITATION of the blizzard.
Prof. W. M. Scott, the state entomolo-
gist, who began making inquiries in the
frui2 belt early Monday, when it was ap-
parent that great damage had been done,
is also in receipt of reports from his cor
respondents, which show all almost total
destruction of the peach crop and which
are confirmatory of his prediction sever.
al days ago that thousands of young trees
have been killed and seriously damaged.
Ia speaking of the situation to-day Prof.
Scott said
"That all the fruit below Barnesville
and Macon has been totally destroyed
L DO not believe there is any doubt. |
am sure that much of the crop in the
northern portion of the state has been
very seriously damaged, and it may be
that every tree in the northern part has
been destroyed so far as fruitage is con-
cerned this season.
THE destruction of the crop will be a
great blow to the fruit growers of the
state, as they had just about recovered
from the freeze that came four wears
and ha 60
Last season the crop was what might
be called phenomenal. One million dol
lars was realized from the crop, and the
expectation for good profit was uniVer-
sal for this season. Now that the season
has brought a freeze severer than was
ever known before in this state the
grove feel that the fruit industry has
been given great backset.
THE YOUNG TREES KILLED
1.-THE young trees have Eeen killed in
many orchards. The trees 8 and 4 and S
years old have probably escaped, but |
fear chat all of the young trees, or at
least great many of them, have been,
killed.
"The trees, however, do not always
freeze to the roots, and there will be
many trees whish can be cut off a foot
or two above the ground, and they will
grow from the stump. I have seen
many orchards in this state where near
ly all of the trees had been topped on
account of freezes. The limbs quickly
grow out again, and while there is. OF
course, no fruit that season the trees
will grow, and the next season there will
be crop, unless, of course, it is killed
again.
Therefore, because tree is killed at
the top the tree need not be dug up and
new one put in it's place.
HAS EXAMINED sPRrGs.
"a number of peach tree sprigs have
been sent to me since Monday for ex-
animation, and in nearly every instance
have found that the blossom has been
killed where this advanced stage had
been reached, and where the tree had not
budded the life of the tree had been de-
stroyed SO far as any fruit this season is
concerned.
'By taking pocket knife and cutting
through the bud it can be easily seen
whether or not the tree is killed. or
whether the bud has been DESTROYED.
If incisiOn into the bud shows that it ia
black or brown then the bud rs dead,
and there will be no blossom. II the
bud is green then there is life in the
bud, unless it has been cut before the
effect If the freeze has had time to be-
come apparent"