194 



Now these flowers, and the button balls, (seeds,) are produced on 

 the twigs of the previous summer. These twigs being uniformly- 

 killed, an entire new growth is made from adventitious buds, burst- 

 ing from the base of the twigs. From these, sometimes grow 

 shoots three or four feet long, as they did this past summer. The 

 disease, then, is in the young growth, and until a mild winter, or 

 other circumstances, favor the ripening of the shoots, the trees will 

 suffer. Severity of winter does not necessarily destroy a young 

 growth ; one of the most certain causes is the continued growing, 

 produced by warm autumnal weather protracted beyond the usual 

 period, especially if it be moist or rainy, succeeding a dry summer. 



It is difficult to determine when these trees were first winter 

 killed. Dr. Harris, to whom allusion has been previously made, 

 thinks this occurred about five years ago, and from a freezing and 

 very cold storm late in the spring, when the leaves were pushing 

 forth. That we have late severe weather is familiar to every one ; 

 and I find, according to my diary, that so late as May 2d, in 1837, 

 after the foliage of the Horse Chesnut, (Jlsculus hippocastamim, W.) 

 had expanded in Salem, there was a very severe freezing and con- 

 siderable ice. 



But the interesting question occurs, — Will the trees die ? I an- 

 swer, probably not. The great vigor in the larger limbs will even- 

 tually enable them to survive, until favorable circumstances facili- 

 tate the ripening of the young wood. Doubtless some will perish, 

 and I have noticed several fine old shade trees destined for death. 

 But these have been generally exposed to some previous injury, — 

 such as cutting away the roots, — or else had been planted in some 

 unfavorable situation. It seems to me, that whoever would save 

 his trees should let them alone, trusting to the natural causes of 

 vital and vegetative principles to renovate them ; and that severe 

 pruning, or wholly depriving them of their branches, cannot pro- 

 duce any good end, and may prove fatal. 



Dr. Storer exhibited a very singular specimen of the Pla- 

 tessa oblo?iga, Mitchill, (P. ocellaris, DeKay.) Both sides 

 were colored and the head distorted. The upper eye was 

 situated directly upon the top of the head, and about a 

 quarter of an inch back of the eyes was a large arch, from 

 the anterior angle of which arose the dorsal fin. He re- 



