The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-07
NO LOSS BY FREEZE
FOLD SPELL DID LITTLE DAMAGE
ON FARMS AND IN GARDENS.
APoNICAS NOT IN BLOOM
BUT THIS Is PROBABLY RESULT OF
CONTINUED COLD WINTERS.

peratures Have Stunted Growth of
the Bush and Caused the Flower
Not to Bloom in Winter Months.
Florists Not Damaged, Owing to
Timely Warning of the weather
Bureau-Truck Gardens Escaped.
Only Hardest Plants Were Out
and These Were Merely Nipped.
Character of the Cold Wave Fav-
OrabIe to Safety of Exposed Vege-
tatiOn.
The recent cold spell, so far as could
be learned yesterday, has mad little or
40 effect on truck gardening, noricul-
lure, or the vegetation in the parks
Ind squares. The japonica is not found
tut the disappearance of this character
site winter flower is accredited by
hose versed with Horticulture to sue
sessive hard winters rather than to the
present cold spell. In speaking of the
natter yesterday, Capt c. s. Ellis said:
ut is tue that the 1aponica is not in
bloom in any of the public parks, at
east so far as l have noticed, but l
10 not believe that this is the result of
result of a succession of hard winters
With unusually low temperatures.
THE effect has been to gradually
stunt the growth of the japonica bush
md for some time the majority of them
have not been in bloom during the
winter months. Temperatures of from
to 20 degrees are entirely too cold
Tor this flower and it has ceased to
bloom in winter I have noticed for
Ieveral winters that the japonicas in
Forsythe Park have not been in bloom
Turing the winter, though they are ap-
parently not damaged to the extent of
cutting down the supply of flowers in
he spring.
AT present there are several japon-
cas in bud and, from a slight exami-
patton, I do not believe that they have
been seriously injured. l think that
spring viii bring them into full bloom
again"
A number of people who have ia
Ponicas in their private flower gardens
we're asked concerning the effects of
Ehe cold wave. Without exception they
stated that none of the trees We're in
bloom, but that they had not been in
excessive cold spells of the last several
winters have probably had the effect
II keeping the flowers from blooming
n the winter months.
Florists Were Prepared.
Among the florists of the CITY the eff
Iects of the cold wave were very slight
and in the majority of instances unfelt
save for the greater care necessary in
preserving sensitive and delicate plants
against it,
When the first intimation of the Geld
waves approach was received at the
Weather Bureau word was at once sent
&c the florists and they We're warned
10 have their fires up. These were i'm
nediately started and when the wave
reached here the flowers were we'll pro-
tected.
During the warm days of the last of
the old year and the early part of this
The fires were allowed to die out and
had it not been for the Weather Blu
reau warning it is probable that there
would have been considerable loss.
especially among the more delecate
bowers.
Truck Gardens Uninjured.
Truck gardeners report that very lit
Sic If any damage has been done by the
sold wave. Only the hardest vege-
tables were being raised and they have
withstood the cold very we'll Mr.. M
L. Exley. when asked il truck farms
mad been damaged, said, among other
things:
Not to any really serious extent
The only vegetables which we had out
we're cabbages, beets, spinach ETC..
and these were able to Withstand the
cold. 1t is true that the cabbage leaves
have the appearance which we call
boiled and seem considerably wilted
ALI of this will be outgrown. however
and ii IS safe to say that no bad ef-
tects have resulted. So long as a
freeze does not injure the hearts of the
plant there is. as rule, little damage
done.
Il had some small cabbage plants
ready to set out that appear as though
they had been ecorched and look very
much wilted. But even these delicate
plants 1 believe are uninjured and
am sure that they will grow as readily
and easily as though they had not been
nipped.
Fortunately the cold came at a sea-
son of the year when there was little
or nothing in the gardens and these
few plants were of the hardest va
rieties. At this season of the year we
are engaged solely in breaking up and
preparing the ground for the spring
planting and i'm enriching the soil Ii
is the cold wave that comes along II
March or Whereabouts that we fear and
which does the greatest damage"
Character of Cold Favorable.
In speaking of the present cold wav,
Afr. Exley stated that its very char
acter was against any great DANCE
tic the hardy plants. 1T is the thaw
ing that does the damage" he said
''more than it is the freezing. Whei
the cold is dry it is more danger
gus than when it is damp.
"a dry cold draws all the mois
ture from the plant. and this it i
that crystallizes on the leaves of tn
plant. When the thawing process
commences the crystallized waite
melts more rapidly than the plant cal
take it up, and the vegetable wilt
and dies. When the cold is dam
there is a coating of ice crystal form
ed in addition to that drawn from tn
plant and when the thawing com
nences this melts, and is taken u
by the plant through its roots.
THE present cold spell was of tina
nature, and the plants themselves ar
uninjured. The leaves, it is true, ar
nipped. and the plants will not appea