The "Winter, and its effects on Vegetation. — The winter througli which we have 

 just passed will not soon be forgotten. It seems to have been altogether remarkable in 

 almost every part of the country. In many of the Southern and Western States there has 

 been a severe drouth in the depth of Avinter — rivers, streams, and springs so low that 

 water for ordinary purposes could scarcely be had ; and we have heard of cattle dying for 

 want of it. Until raid-winter the Western rivers were too low for navigation. Then 

 came the wonderful snow storms of February, covering up entire trains of railroad cars on 

 the Western prairies, and blocking up railway travel in nearly all parts of the country. 

 Close upon this came the intense cold of the 6th and 7th of February, when the mercury 

 sunk 26" below zero in the usually mild lake counties of Western New York, where is 

 reckoned very cold, and is seldom experienced. In New England we hear of earthquakes in 

 various localities. The atmosphere of our continent is surely in a most extraordinary state . 



We have strong fears that the fruit crop of 1855 will be very small. Here our Peaches 

 are gone; not only are the fruit-buds killed, but we fear the trees themselves ssq frozen to 

 death down to the very roots. In cutting through the bark, we find the wood quite dis- 

 colored, and to all appearance completely disorganized. We had, for a time, some hopes 

 that the trees were safe, because the cold slackened off gradually and without sunshine ; 

 but om* hopes are small now. 



We have not yet dared to make a close examination to see how serious the injuries are, 

 but we see evidences of suffering on all sides. A beautiful young Cedar of Lebanon on the 

 lawn, that has stood many years unprotected, is as brown, or rather as red, as dead ever- 

 greens usually are in midsummer. We fear we shall have a long catalogue of misfortunes 

 to chronicle by and by. 



Biographies of distinguished Hoetiotjltiieists. — ^We have commenced in this number 

 a series of articles under this heading. We think this an improvement that will be very 

 acceptable to our readers. Each article will be accompanied with correct portraits. We 

 commence the series, we think very appropriately, with the biography and portrait of 

 Hon. Marshall P. Wilder. VTe are now preparing a beautiful portrait of the late Thomas 

 Hogg, of YorkviUe, which will appear soon, accompanied by an interesting biograpliy. 



Deferred Articles. — We have a large number of articles prepared for this number, 

 which we are compelled to omit — enough, our printer informs us, for another number. 

 Among the deferred articles are the following, with many others we have not space to 

 mention: "Green-houses and their Management," by D. K. R. ; "Curculio Remedies," 

 by Wm. Adair, Detroit; "Notes on Pears," by John B. Eaton, Buffalo; "The Diller 

 Pear," by Samuel Walker, Roxbury, Mass. ; " Evergreen Shrubs," by Wm. Saunders, 

 Germantown, Philadelphia, Pa. ; " Deep Digging," by William Bacon, Richmond, Mass. ; 

 " Rural Cemeteries," by A. D. G., Clinton, N. Y. ; " Village Cemeteries," by,W. H. Scott, 

 Adrian, Mich. We shall give all in due season. 



