THE PROGRESS OF HORTICULTURE. 



A BRIEF review of the progress of horticulture during the 

 past year appears an appropriate theme for the commence- 

 ment of the new. The Magazine itself is, in truth, a record 

 of this. But in the great variety of subjects which are em- 

 braced in a volume, some are hastily read, and otliers par- 

 tially overlooked, and to refresh the memory with the more 

 important of these is to add to our stock of knowledge, and 

 extend our field of observation. In addition to this, there 

 are various subjects more or less interesting to the cultivator, 

 which have escaped our attention, and an opportunity like 

 this enables us to notice, in an incidental manner, things per- 

 haps in themselves not deserving serious discussion, but yet 

 in the advancement of the science worthy of being treasured 

 up. To recapitulate merely what has appeared in our pages 

 would be a loss of time and space ; this would not accom- 

 plish our object, which is, in as brief a manner as possible, to 

 record the general progress of horticulture, both abroad and 

 at home. 



Preliminary to this we give som.e account of the tempera- 

 ture and general characteristics of the year. 



The month of January was considerably above the average 

 temperature, and free from the extremes of cold which usual- 

 ly occur. The highest range of the thermometer at sunrise 

 was 56°, and the lowest 10°. The general temperature at 

 that time was from 15° to 30°. The 4th, 13th, 18th, 22d, 

 and 26th, were rainy, and at the close of the month the 

 ground was nearly bare of snow. 



With February came a change, moderate at first, but 

 falling gradually from 8° on the 4th, to 10° below on 

 the 6th, and 15° below on the 7th ; the lowest range of the 

 mercury since December, 1835. It then moderated with 15 

 inches of snow, on the 9th, which covered the ground till 

 the 15th, when a heavy rain and the thermometer at 38°, 



VOL. XXII. NO. I. 1 



