

i 



"Weather, Crops, &c. — The spring opened unusually late over a great portion of the 

 country. At Rochester the ground remained frozen till about the 3d or 4th of April; and 

 in some parts of Western New York, much later. Snow banks were still seen on the 1st 

 of May. In the early part of April the weather became very suddenly warm, almost a mid- 

 summer heat. This was experienced very generally. It seemed as though we were to be 

 at once transferred from the frozen regions of the north to the neighborhood of the equator. 

 For a time people were quite alarmed lest their planting season should be cut short and their 

 various improvements be frustrated ; but a gladdening change came towards the close of 

 April, and from that time to the present, (May 22d), the weather has been cool and vege- 

 tation has come forward at a moderate and healthy pace. The change in Western New 

 York was accompanied with a hail storm which threatened to be teriffic, but did no very 

 serious injury. We never beheld such black and angry clouds ; between three and four 

 o'clock in the afternoon we had to light candles so see to read or write ; hail stones fell in 

 some places four inches in circumference ; windows were smashed and poultry killed ; but 

 it lasted only a few minutes. Since that gust the weather has been cool, with frequent 

 rains "V^ith occasional light frosts that have not done any harm. At this moment the country 

 looks very beautiful and full of promise. Never have we seen it, at this season, look better 

 in any respect, excepting Peaches. Apples, Pears, Plums, Cherries, and all the small fruits, 

 promise the most abundant crops that we have had in many years. The drouth of last 

 season, by checking the formation of wood, has brought even very young tardy bearing 

 sorts into a fruitful condition. The old Peach trees in this State are dead. We travelled, 

 a day or two ago, through the best Peach district in Western New York, and found thou- 

 sands of trees rooted up and prepared for the fire. Young trees, as we predicted in a late 

 number of this journal, are likely to survive ; but the disaster is a very serious one. We 

 know of single orchardists who have lost thousands of fine full grown bearing trees. We 

 have not yet had leisure enough to prepare an account of the injuries done to many orna- 

 mental trees and plants usually considered hardy. We subjoin a few notes from corres- 

 pondents. 



Col. Wilder adds the following postscript to a letter dated May 18th: 



"The prospect for fruit is good, with the exception of Peaches. Our Pears are now coming 

 into bloom and look finely. Among the new eorts I notice Emile d' JIe>/st, Calcbasse Fongord, 

 Pius IX, Sur Reine, Beurre Wetteren, Alex. Bivort, Madame Durieux, Vineuse d Esperiii, Mon- 

 siegneur Affre, Alexandre Dutilleul, dc, (fc." 



Mr. CnoRLTOX writes from Staten Island May 10th : 



"The last severe winter has not left us unscathed. Now that Peaches are beginning to grow, 

 many of the branches are gummy fiom patches of injured bark. The hardy Roses of all kinds 

 are more or less cut on the ends of the shoots; this, however, will do no injury. Paulownia 

 flowers are quite dead, but the trees uninjured. A Cedar of Lebanon here is almost killed. 



