4 Retrospeciive View of the 



falling to 28*^. This was twenty-one days later than the first 

 frost of 1851. The close of the month was very fine, with 

 only one heavy frost on the 27th, and two rainy days. 



November was a very different month from that of 1851. 

 Very few rainy days occurred, and only three or four frosty 

 mornings of any severity, 16° being the lowest. 



December, up to the 12th, was as beautiful as the early 

 part of October, with scarcely a frosty night. The 13th 

 was cooler, with about one inch of snow, now (the 14th) 

 just covering the ground, which is quite free from frost. The 

 whole autumn has been exceedingly fine. 



Summing up the characteristics of the year, they are — a 

 severe cold winter ; a late spring ; a dry and warm summer : 

 and a mild, prolonged and pleasant autumn. The winter, 

 though severe, was more uniform in temperature than the 

 average ; there were very few even mild days from Decem- 

 ber to March. Such winters we deem by far the most favor- 

 able to vegetation, with the exception of slight damage to 

 some doubtful hardy shrubs and the blossoms of some cher- 

 ries and peaches. We experienced less injury from the 

 effects of the winter than that of any other for the preceding 

 ten years. We are aware that at the south and west the 

 damage was very great ; in some instances peach trees being 

 killed quite to the ground ; and we have recorded the injury 

 done to the roses around Washington, (p. 134.) 



A finer season for fruit has never been experienced. The 

 pear has fully made up for its scanty crop of 1850 and 1851. 

 As we stated in our report for the former year, (Vol. XII, p. 

 4,) the rest which the trees would obtain by a year's growth 

 without fruit, Avould be more than made up by the succeed- 

 ing crop. This has proved true ; for fine pears, which in 

 former years it has been difficult to obtain at any reasonable 

 price, have been, this year, almost a drug in the market. 

 The apple crop was very large and good ; cherries and 

 peaches were not abundant ; raspberries and strawberries 

 suffered much from the drought. 



The results of the year are favorable to the ardent culti- 

 vator. We are reminded that in the unceasing course of 



