The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-03-23
FRUIT CROP IS SAFE.
But the Boy With the Gun is Get
ting in His Deadly Work on
the Farmers Bird Friends.
Section Director ]. w. Bauer Comments
In an Interesting Way the
Two Subjects.

In the opinion of Mr.. j. W. Bauer,
the section director, the frosts Of this
week did no damage whatever to the
else in the State, with the possible
exception of Edgefeld county, where
ice formation of the 18th possibly
destroyed some of the earlier varieties
which bloom early. The March cold
periods have not been severe enough
to injure the most delicate vegetables.
The danger of freezes is not yet
over, however, though there is no
ground for any great alarm for the
future in this section-so far as tenn
perature is concerned. The freeze
which occurred late in March, 1894,
and which practically wiped out the
orange and pineapple business in
Florida, was an extraordinary occur
renee which may not be expected to
come again in quarter Of century
or longer, if it ever comes again. The
general outlook for a full crop of all
kinds of fruit in this section is favor
able so far. What the insects will do
for these crops later, however, is a
matter that cannot be foretold.
Insects said Nh. Bauer, are the
greatest of the farmers enemies
worms, grubs and scale insects of va
rious kinds. This condition may be
said to be due to the steadily increas-
ing prevalence of the small boy with
the gur. These boys who are out
shooting robins ought to be spanked
every one of them. Every robin they
kill is worth from IS to $40 in the
number OF insects it would destroy if
allowed to live. I mention the robin
particularly because he is above all
others an insectiverous bird, though
of course all birds are more or less SO.
Birds are, therefore. the farmers best
friends, and unless more effective
means are adopted by the legislature
to protect them and encourage their
propagation the insects will become
increasingly victorious in their war
on the growing crops.
eff the birds had been let alone in
the last decade there would be enough
of them here now to hold the army Of
insects in check. Nature is amply
able to take care of herself. She has
| provided birds to hold these insects in
check. To see people interfere with
the scheme of nature with their eyes
wide open and then to mourn over the
consequences is one of the most
pathetic sights know OF. -
Reverting to the appearance of frost
this week, Nj. Bauer said that the
freezing condition had not held an
| hour and could not have harmed any
thing. Even as delicate fruit as the
banana could standa temperature OF
30 degrees over an hour without in
jury, and the lemon could see the
banana one better both as to time and
degree of low temperature.
Mr.. Bauer was asked why it is that
forest growth as we'll as fruit trees are
not killed outright by these pro-
tracted freezes such as occur, for in
stance, at points as far south as North
Carolina, where temperature of 20
degrees below zero is not unknown.
"That such disasters do not occur, -
Nj. Bauer, answered, is due to the
wise provision of nature that there is
then no active sap in the trees. Yes,
on cutting into the tree at that time
you will see the ice ingrained as it
were into the very fibre Of the wood,
OQC tQCE0 1S Cu0u UO6iiiuS GuoIC O0S
the wood itself scarcely. If such a
freeze occurred when the sap was act
i've deati, would follow. Several
years ago severe late spring freeze
occurred resulting in the death of
forest trees throughout this and other
States. On the other hand when the
sap is active there is certain amount
Of heat generated by the activity of
vegetable life that is able to resist
more or less severe freezes.
"As to the effect of freezes on. the
budding fruit trees there is another
wise provision of nature which the
matter you directed my attention to
recalls. The buds are divided into
several crops as if in anticipation Of
freeze. Nature does not allow all
of the buds to mature at once, but
holds Others in reserve in lease the
first are killed. Nature is thus gen.
orally able to reassert herself and
bring out almost full crop even il the
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