MAY. 327 



bury it up. in no part excepting the ends there being a less 

 depth than ten inches, and increasing to as many feet on the 

 roof and front. This storm was followed by repeated snows 

 early in January, 1854, excluding all sunshine from the plant, 

 and it suffered severely. The cloudy weather continued in 

 an unusual degree through the month. It made the last leaf 

 in February, having survived somewhat over one year. The 

 mercury by Fahrenheit thermometer in my garden, during the 

 months of January and February, fell to 14P below zero on 

 several nights, and on one occasion to 17° below ; the water 

 in the tank at this time was kept at 65° to 72°, a temperature 

 sufficiently high to continue the growth and health of the 

 plant, provided there was a due share of sunny weather. For 

 more than one week the sun's rays were effectually excluded 

 from the plant by these causes. When the weather mod- 

 erated, this snow and ice was removed from the roof, too late, 

 however, to restore its health, and it died. 



The winter of 1853-54 was unusually cold and cloudy. 

 The effect of the cloudy weather upon the lily was so ap- 

 parent, that no one, observant of its effects upon the leaves, 

 could doubt the cause of their decay. A few days of favorable 

 weather would revive the growth and check the progress of 

 decay on the older leaves, giving hopes that it might yet 

 withstand all the hardships of our winter climate, when 

 another cloudy period would occur, and the damage to the 

 old would increase rapidly, and the decomposition of the 

 young leaves would commence, appearing in small black spots 

 on the surface, and spreading with more or less speed, as the 

 weather proved bright or the reverse. 



THE NEW PLANTS. 



Near the last of October, 1853, seeds, which were again 

 given me by Mr. Cope of Philadelphia, were planted in the 

 tank. In January, 1854, they had not vegetated. Dr. 

 Asa Gray, of Harvard University, procured seeds for me 

 from Sir William J. Hooker, Director of the Royal Gardens 

 at Kew, London. I desired to grow plants from seed pro- 

 duced in a climate with less sun than ours, as well as from 



