DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



and the attacks of animals and insects. These 

 are highly important considerations — and to me 

 peculiarly so. At the present I am trenching 

 for three hundred rods of hedge. The Osage 

 Orange is my favorite, but I fear its durability 

 for that purpose in our neighborhood. Of se- 

 veral hundred plants which I grew from seed, 

 and bestowed upon friends in this vicinity, I 

 find them, as also my own, more or less winter 

 killed when unprotected, besides being subject 

 to girdling by field mice, of which we have 

 more than a share. It makes, however, the 

 most beautiful hedges, in every point of view, 

 far handsomer where it flourishes, than Eng- 

 land's Hawthorn, which fades under our bright 

 sun. The Berberry has been highly spoken of 

 for hedging, but not having seen either hedge 

 or testimony, sufficiently satisflictory, I remain 

 in doubt. A side nurserjnnan last year adver- 

 tised largely, a stock of this plant for hedging, 

 but sending an order at once, for a thousand 

 plants, they were all just gone ! 



Some years since, I induced a friend to try 

 the indigenous thorn so common in our woods. 

 Nearly half a mile of hedge was mado, and does 

 pretty well, but due care was not taken in se- 

 lecting the plants sufficiently small. The lar- 

 ger ones being stunted by transplanting, gaps 

 were made difficult to repair. Thus, after all 

 that has been written on the subject, safety 

 seems confined alone to the Buckthorn. Your 

 own testimony has resolved me to plant largely 

 of it. I had feared that animals would browse 

 upon it, but you say, vol. 1, p. 348, " its leaf 

 and bark are offensive to insects, and the borer 

 will not touch it", which I trust may be extend- 

 ed to graminivorous animals. 



A thoroughly protective hedge, or an un- 

 couth looking strong fence, is absolutely neces- 

 sary to the orchardist, if he may derive either 

 pleasure or profit from his trees. Climbing a 

 a fence, or pushing aside a picket, and pelting 

 the choice apples, pears, &c. from the trees, is, 

 I am sorry to say, not considered generally a 

 misdemeanor, or theft, at the present day. 

 And a peremptory order to desist such intru- 

 sion, brings upon the owner the anathema of 

 " how ?22can ."' The venerable D. Thomas re- 

 marks, " no insect, no birds and no malady 

 among fruit trees have discouraged pomologists 

 so much as the depredations of our own species," 



and as an antidote urges "that all persons 

 should be induced to grow their own fruit, as 

 he never knew a boy to steal fruit, whose 

 father raised fruit himself," to which we would 

 respond Amen. AV. R. Coppock. Longsight 

 Place, near Buffalo, N. Y., Jan. 1, 1851. 



Notes of the Season. — The new year open- 

 ed with fine sleighing, a cool healthful air, and 

 smiling, but not a very warm sunshine. The 

 southern sky looked soft and agreeable enough 

 for September, in the early part of the day, 

 but before night, the north wind arose, and the 

 loose snow was hurried in wild confusion into 

 drifts. The morning of the 2d, was cool, and 

 as some would say, the air was fine and 

 bracing through the day — 5th, mercury at sun- 

 rise, only 2° above 0, and did not rise higher 

 than 10° through the daj-— 6th, 22° at sunrise, 

 and reached 4^ in the afternoon. On the 

 morning of the 8th only 2° above 0, but mode- 

 rates fast and continues very fine for ten days, 

 the mercury frequently being above freezing 

 at sunrise. On the morning of the 19th, it 

 stood 4° below 0, and rose only to 18" above 

 through the day ; after which it continues mild 

 and agreeable. The 23d was a fine smoky day, 

 and the snow wasted under the influence of the 

 sun. The morning of the 24th was noted for a 

 remarkable white frost, which curiously orna- 

 mented the spires of grass and branches of 

 trees, especially on lowlands, beside streams, 

 where the feathery chrystals hung in rich and 

 varied beauty, and gave under the influence of 

 the sun a fairy appearance to the desolations 

 of winter. But the illusion soon melted off, 

 and we found winter yet reigning in its every 

 day costume. Warm weather followed this 

 frost, and in the four following days, the sleigh- 

 ing was nearly used up by sunshine. The morn- 

 ing of the 29th was ushered in by a rain storm 

 with the mercury at 38° and the wind blowing 

 fresh from the south-west. Wind changes to 

 northwest at- S-J o'clock A. M., and a furious 

 snow-squal follows, continuing until nearly 

 noon. The weather grows blustering through 

 the day. The 30th will long be remembered 

 as a cold, blustering daj'^. made still more un- 

 pleasant by the sudden change of temperature. 

 At suin-ise the mercury was 8° below — at 9 

 A. M. 6° below — at 3 P. M. 2° below- 



