The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-29

crop of other sections of the state is damaged to a great extent as the re- suit of freeze and frost.
 P. Williams, professor of horticul- ture at Auburn, and state horticultur- ist, returned today from @ trip to north Alabama. whither he was called by tid- ings of great damage to fruit. He of tered no hope for crop of any amount In north Alabama and he estimated the aggregate crop loss at thousands of dollars. Two orchard owners whom i he visited will alone lose s75.00O, he said. The plum crop in north Alabama fig destroyed as well, he said
 In the north Alabama orchards the damage was effected by the heavy freeze of March 15, which was unex- pected. Professor Williams told of the tragedy of one orchard as an evil dence of the fact, that the destruc- tive freeze came as a surprise.
 "One man, who has 60,0Oo trees, had Kept 2000 fires burning in his orchard for five nights" he said. Thirty men had been working for him to save the trees, After the fifth night he tele- graphed to the weather bureau sta ton at Birmingham to ascertain the forecast. Indications promised a frost. with a temperature something above freezing. Not fearing frost in his high altitude. he dismissed his fire force. That night the temperature dropped below 50 degrees, and all of his fruit was killed" Professor Williams visited Jasper, Haleyville, Cullman. Blount Springs and other fruit centers of North Alabama. Ev- anywhere, he said, the outlook is as hope less
 In Middle and South Alabama the peach and plum crops are not altogether destroyed, but the crop will be short bv nalf. In these sections the fruit was Killed not entirely by the freeze, but by the earlier frost of February "A. At that tune the temperature went Ito 2s degrees, station fatal to budding fruit. Every where, however, the effect on the fruit was the same
 bloom or coming into full bloom were in- 1ured the most said Professor, Will llams today The stamens were de- stroyed and although the pistils were uninjured by the frost the blooms dropped as there was no stamens to fur nish pollens. ea.
 The varieties of Waldo, Orledio, Angel, Tabor and Pallos had dropped their blooms, and these are bearing a normal crop.
 Upon the station al Auburn definite fig ufes were ascertained from observations of the trees on the experiment. farm which are considered a fair index to tha condition of the crop of this immediate section as result of the freeze and frost of February "A. Plums were killed. or the peach varieties, early Crawford and late Crawford were killed in the bud. T fo per cent crop of Carmans will ba raised; or the Georgia Bell peaches, about per cent remain on the trees. Nav flower was uninjured; Governor Hoep- and and Greensboro, blooming late, were not lhJured to great extent and 60 to 70 per cent of the fruit remaics eu the trees Of the Elbertas probably will r,s .avel one-half of crop; of the early Rivers 60 per cent; of the Triumph 60 per cent The force at the Auburn experiment station has not heard from some of tba fruit growers of the section soutb or this place. but it is conceded that tbe crops there are damaged as much. nroh- ably more, because of their lower eleya- tion ana tneir greater susceptibility to frost, than the crop at Auburn.
 Apples are uninjured to any extent says Professor Williams, and his assist, ant, J. c. C. Price. Professor Williams said that he could detect no injury to the apple crop, even in North Alabama. where the peaches and plums were de- stroyed. Neither were strawberries de- stroyed, he said.
 Strawberries at Culman are not in- jured. A few plants may have been hurt, but very few. The first shipment of berries at Castleberry were injured It, tle."
 But to every cloud there is silver lining.
 Peaches will be all the better next year for the loss of this year, and the rest for the trees. Look out for bumper crop then" promises Professor Will lians.