278 



THE NATURAL HISTORY 



[LETT. 



on such emergencies ; and, if his plantations are small, to avail 

 himself of mats, cloths, peasehaum, straw, reeds, or any such 

 covering, for a short time ; or, if his shrubberies are extensive, 

 to see that his people go about with prongs and forks, and 

 carefully dislodge the snow from the boughs: since the naked 

 foliage will shift much better for itself than when the snow is 

 partly melted and frozen again. 



It may perhaps appear at first like a paradox ; but doubtless 

 the more tender trees and shrubs should never be planted in 

 hot aspects ; not only for the reason assigned above, but also 

 because, thus circumstanced, they are disposed to shoot earlier 

 in the spring, and to grow on later in the autumn, than they 

 would otherwise do, and so are sufferers by lagging or early 

 frosts. For this reason also, plants from Siberia will hardly 

 endure our climate: because, on the very first advances of 

 spring, they shoot away, and so are cut off by the severe nights 

 of March or April. 



I'r. Fothergill and others have experienced the same incon- 

 venience with respect to the more tender shrubs from North 

 America ; which they therefore plant under north walls. There 

 should also, perhaps, be a wall to the east, to defend them from 

 the piercing blasts from that quarter. 



This observation might without any impropriety be carried 

 into animal life ; for discerning bee-masters now find that their 

 hives should not in the winter be exposed to the hot sun, because 

 such unseasonable warmth awakens the inhabitants too early 

 from their slumbers ; and, by putting their juices into motion too 

 soon, subjects them afterwards to inconveniences when rigorous 

 weather returns. 



The coincidents attending this short but intense frost, wei'e, 

 that the horses fell sick with an epidemic distemper, which 

 injured the wind of many, and killed some; that colds aud 

 coughs were general among the human species; that it froze 

 under people's beds for several nights ; that meat was frozen 

 so hard that it could not be spitted, and could not be secured 

 but in cellars ; that several redwings and thrushes were killed 

 by the frost ; and that the large titmouse continued to pull 

 straws lengthwise from the eaves of thatched houses and barns 



