

The excessively heavy vaiiifuU of the present season, altliough very 

 injurious to many kinds of crops, has proved beneficial to most sorts 

 of hardy evergreens, especially ConifeiTC that are growing in suitable 

 soil sufficiently drained, artificially or naturally, to carry off the 

 surplus water. In several parts of the country visited lately we have 

 observed that evergreens are making an unusually vigorous growth 

 after having flowered more profusely, as previously remarked at page 

 149, than they have done for some years past. 



It will require a dry warm autumn to ripen such a luxuriant, 

 growth, to enable it to withstand the severities of winter. So far there 

 is no present appearance of the weather clearing up, and it will be in- 

 teresting to observe how the different trees and shrubs withstand the 

 rigours of winter, should the weather unfortunately not prove 

 favourable in time to thoroughly ripen this season's growth. Such 

 fine growth, if well ripened, ouglit naturally to produce another 

 plentiful crop of flowers, &c. — a circumstance which very rarely 

 occurs in two succeeding years. 



Old plants of the common and Portugal laurels produced a perfect 

 sheet of blossom in many parts of the country during June and July ; 

 but it has not prevented them making a very free growth since then, 

 as well as the holly, boxwood, rhododendron, and " American " 

 plants generally. The holly has set a full crop of berries, whicli will 

 prove highly welcome at Christmas-time to our English homes, should 

 no unforeseen mishap occur to interfere with their arriving at full 

 maturit}^ 



Amongst Conifera?, the Wdlinfjtonin has made a very full growth, 

 more particularly upon the lateral Ijranches, which are beautifully 



VOL. I. Y 



