Yakima's Orchards Weren't Dead After All

After the very cold weather of November 28th, 1897—the thermometer in the Yakima valley having registered from 5 to 20 degrees below zero—the general impression of horticulturists was that the majority of the fruit trees were killed. The fact that this totally unprecedented cold had occurred so early in the season, and at a time when an unusual warm autumn had kept the sap in the trees, lent a strong argument to the views of the pessimists. The bark on many trunks turned black and cracked open, and above the snow line there were few trees which did not give strong evidence in the brown discoloration of the wood that frost had seriously affected them.

The freaks of the frost were very singular and inexplicable, as one orchard would apparently be seriously injured, while the adjoining one gave little evidence of harm. In some places the young trees seemed to feel the frost worst, and in others it was the older ones in bearing that suffered. There are certain localities in the county where the orchards have entirely escaped injury, and others where the percentage of loss is very great. One lesson should be well learned, viz. that a southern exposure (south hillside) is no place for an orchard, for the buds are started so early in the spring that they are endangered by the late frosts, and the sap is kept flowing in the tree much longer in the autumn, increasing the liability of injury from an annual freeze.

One of the surprises of this unusual freeze last November is the fact that the apricot, which is supposed to be a tender tree in this latitude, is less injured than the peach, prune and cherry and in some orchards, even the apple. The sour cherry as a rule escaped, while the Royal Ann and sweet cherries are somewhat injured. Perhaps the very worst sufferer is the French prune, as there seems little doubt that many trees were killed. Most orchardists conceded that their peach trees were killed, and were entirely certain that there would be no fruit this season. Notwithstanding, the peach trees in many orchards at this writing, are covered with their usual beautiful blossoms, and give every promise of a fair harvest. The same may be said of the pears, Italian prunes, cherries and apricots.

Some wiseacres will still claim that the blossoms are produced by the sap caught in the tops at the time of the freeze, and that as the season advances the trees will wilt and die. If they will carefully examine the bark on the tree trunks they will observe a vast improvement, and that the brown wood is fast becoming green again. The fact that the trees of the Yakima valley and Eastern Washington have such powers of recuperation, after as severe a trial and test as could well be experienced, gives the assurance that there is no finer or better fruit country in the world.

We have not heard definitely from Western Washington and the Willamette valley, but from newspaper paragraphs and the reports of visitors from those localities, we judge that the reported injuries of last fall were grossly exaggerated, and that there is to be an average crop of fruit.