DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



better experience being recorded, ray most san- 

 guine wisihes will have been accomplished. Per- 

 haps if Mr. Cleveland had taken up the same 

 space that he has occupied in describing his work- 

 ing, instead of expressing so much opinion, it 

 might have been of more general benefit, for 

 '• our judgments like our watches, none goes 

 just alike, yet each believes his own." Suffice 

 it to say, that my ideas in cultivation are not 

 the mushroom aspiration of yesterday, but 

 are founded upon the experience of twenty-five 

 years close observation, and practical applica- 

 tion of the laws of nature, and whether suc- 

 cess or failure be my fate in the present case, 

 your correspondent shall have it faithfully re- 

 corded to amply satisfy him, but for the present 

 my motto is " nil desperandura." I am yours 

 most respectfully, 'Wm.Chorlton. New Brigh- 

 ton, Slateri Island, March 10, 18-52. 



Effects of the Hard Winter. — Mr. Down- 

 ing — Dear Sir: We have had an unusual cold 

 winter here, destroying every peach bud M-est 

 of the mountains. As far as I can learn, the 

 crop is entirely destroyed in Ohio, Indiana, Il- 

 linois, Missouri, and Kentucky and Tennesse. 

 The fall season was very mild, having no cold 

 weather till the 22d and 23d of December, two 

 very cold days, thermoiiieter down to eight de- 

 grees below zero, lower by two degrees, than I 

 have seen it for 18 years past. On examining 

 peach buds they were not injured ; we had anoth- 

 er cold interval on the 12th and 13th of January, 

 but not so cold; no buds were hurt, but the 

 next fall of temperature, on Monday the 19th, 

 brought intense cold . At daylight on the morn- 

 ing of the 20th of January, the thermometer 

 stood at 13 degrees below zero, but I supposed 

 it had been much colder through the night, 

 which killed every peach blossom bud, not leav- 

 ing one, and nearly all the heart cherry blos- 

 som buds and fine plums are destroyed, except 

 a few kinds — Damsons which are not hurt, nor 

 Morello cherries ; it has been stated by close ob- 

 servers, that the germ of the peach blossom 

 buds would perish at 14 degrees below zero. I 

 never believed it before this winter, as I knew 

 peaches were raised north where the thermome- 

 ter frequently went down to 30 degrees below 

 zero; but I now suspect whenever the ther- 

 mometer went below 12° or 13° below zero, the 

 buds were killed. I don't suppose it would be 



of any benefit to us, but it would be a satisfac- 

 tion for us to know, precisely what degrees of 

 cold the peach bud will stand. By collecting 

 some facts, we might ascertain, very nearly, the 

 degree of cold peach buds will bear. I think 

 if you would collect all the facts you can, and 

 publish an article in the May or June number 

 of the Horticulturist. I feel very confident it 

 would be interesting and valuable. Thepeaches 

 west of the mountains, and north of 37 degrees 

 latitude, are all destroyed. If you would make 

 a memorandum of the range of the thermome- 

 ter of the different places, and next summer 

 compare the thermometer, and places where 

 peaches bear, we may ascertain very nearly 

 what degree of cold they will stand. I give 

 you the lowest fall of thermometer as far as I 

 know: 



Below zero. 



Cincinnati and southern Ohio, ]3 



Pittsburgh, 15 



.St. Louis, 20 



New-York, 7 



Columbus, Ohio, 20 



ZanesviUe, 27 



Baltimore, 5 



Cjty of VVashiiigloii, 2 



The above was all on the morning of the 20th 

 January, at daylight. The buds were in per- 

 fectly good condition to stand the lowest point 

 of depression of the thermometer, as the fall 

 and winter had been very dry, and the wood 

 was perfectly matured ; at the time of extreme 

 cold, there was no sleet on the buds, and had 

 been no thaw to excite the sap. 



A few days since I learnt from a friend in my 

 neighborhood, that it was much colder on Mon- 

 day night, January 19th, than I had supposed; 

 this gentleman was a distiller, and was up 

 through the night watching his pipes from free- 

 zing, and found the thermometer down to 21 

 degrees below zero, between one and two o'clock 

 in the morning of the 20th January, and had 

 risen to 13° below zero at daylight, which exact- 

 ly corresponded with my own; it is thought the 

 coldest weather ever known in this country. 



I should like to see some information in the 

 Horticulturist, in regard to the effects of the 

 winter on fruit buds east of the mountains, in 

 New-Jersey, and Western New-York. It 

 would be very interesting to all persons interest- 

 ed in fruit culture, to see a statement in the 

 Horticulturist, of the lowest degree of ther- 

 mometer, from various parts of the country. 



