327 
Notes and Observations on the Botany, Weather, §c., of the United 
States, made during a tour in that country in 1846 and 1847. By 
Wm. AnNorD BnowrrELD, M.D., F.L.S., &c. 
(Continued from p. 298.) 
In strolling over the town with a friend, I remarked the great 
difference the climate here produces on eultivated plants and trees, as 
compared with Montreal. I found little else besides the commonest 
and hardiest trees and shrubs, in the generally ill-kept and neglected 
gardens. The Locust (Robinia Pseudacacia) has here dwindled to a 
shrub, at least I saw none deserving the name of trees; but the Lom- 
bardy Poplar (Populus dilatata) attains a respectable magnitude, and is 
the tree most planted in public walks. The Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) 
resists the winter’s cold perfectly, and thrives here as well as in any 
part of the States. I saw some very large specimens on the loftiest 
platform of the citadel, where they must have been greatly exposed, 
aud a very tall bush in the bishop's garden at the entrance gate. The 
mean winter temperature of Quebec is below that of the same season 
at St. Petersburg, though 134 degrees farther to the southward than 
the latter eity. The tolerance of so severe a climate in a shrub belonging 
to a southern and somewhat tender natural order (Oleacea), is very 
remarkable, and leads me to suppose that the true region of the com- 
mon Lilac must be on very elevated table-land or mountain ranges in 
the north of Persia, which country is always assigned to it as its 
native home. Its inability to bear a continued high temperature 
favours this belief: it is rarely seen in the gardens of the southern 
United States, where, as I have remarked at Charleston, it languishes 
visibly, and can with difficulty be brought to flower. The gardens 
about Quebec are sadly neglected, and overrun with weeds; the few 
fruit- (chiefly apple-) trees I saw were mostly small, much moss-grown, 
and apparently not abundant bearers, even in the propitious years. In 
fact, neither apples nor pears come to great perfection at Quebec, 
which is chiefly supplied with these and other finer fruits from Montreal. 
Peaches and melons are out of the question here in the open grounds, 
and plums, of which there are but few kinds, succeed but indifferently. 
In the shops, and at private tables, I saw grapes both white and red, 
the produce of the gardens here, very small and sour, scarcely eatable. 
