6 EFFECT OF SEVERE FROST ON THE 
One of my neighbours, being short of mats to 
cover the whole of his beds, laid old pea sticks 
upon them, scraping together any litter he could 
meet with to throw upon the pea sticks. 
On the disappearance of the frost he was sur- 
prised to find that the potatoes so covered were 
much less injured than those covered by the 
mats, and since that time it has become the 
practice to form the covering into frames which 
can be elevated a short distance from the ground, 
that there may be air between the covering and 
the soil. 
Some other observations which I made after 
this severe spring frost I cannot help thinking 
connect themselves physiologically with the 
safety which was afforded to the potatoes by 
their having an open space between the covering 
and the ground. 
I had a Jargonelle pear tree much advanced 
at the time, and in a few days after the frost 
had ceased it became one complete sheet of blos- 
som, affording to a cursory observer the pro- 
mise of an abundant crop. 
On a closer examination however most of the 
