NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 189 



From hence I would infer that it is the repeated melting 

 and freezing of the snow that is so fatal to vegetation, rather 

 than the severity of the cold. Therefore it highly behoves 

 every planter, who wishes to escape the cruel mortification 

 of losing in a few days the labour and hopes of years, to 

 bestir himself on such emergencies ; and if his plantations 

 are small, to avail himself of mats, cloths, pease-haum, 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 where 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 dis- 

 posed 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. 



Dr. Fothergill and others have experienced the same 

 inconvenience 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 

 were, that the horses fell sick with an epidemic distemper, 



