THE MAGAZINE 



OF 



HORTICULTURE. 



JANUARY, 1849. 



ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 



Art. I. A Retrosjjectlve Vieio of the Progress of Horticul- 

 ture in the United States during the Year 1S4S. By the 

 Editor. 



The season of 1848, though rather below the general aver- 

 age temperature, has been, on the whole, favorable to a vig- 

 orous and healthy growth of trees and shrubs. In some parts 

 of the countr)'", the severe cold of last winter greatly injured 

 the fruit crop, so much so, that, in some places, it was a total 

 failure. Our readers have already been informed, (Vol. XIV. 

 p. 283,) that the plum crop, in the great region for that fruit 

 around Albany, New York, was entirely destroyed. In New 

 England, the peach crop, we believe, was the only fruit which 

 suffered from the same great alternations of heat and cold. 

 Other fruits, especially pears, were more or less injured by 

 the excessive warmth, and the hot sun, in May, just as the 

 blossoms were fully expanded, causing many of them to fall, 

 and of some kinds, more tender than others, the whole crop 

 was lost in this way. A moderate quantity of moisture dur- 

 ing the summer favored a fine healthy growth, and a mild 

 and prolonged autumn, without frost, ripened the wood finely, 

 and developed an abundant supply of flower-buds. 



The winter of 1847 and '48 was, on the whole, above the 

 average of cold ; but, for variableness, it has rarely been ex- 

 ceeded. January opened with mild weather, and without 

 snow ; but, on the 11th, the thermometer suddenly fell to 12° 

 below zero, the lowest during the winter ; on the 15th, it was 

 rainy and foggy, with the temperature at 40° ; on the 18th, 



VOL. XV. — NO. I. 1 



