50 Popular Errors respecting Trees, 



These, and similar questions, were put to us every day 

 during the continuance of the mild weather in the latter part 

 of December and early part of January. Ev^ery newspaper 

 chronicled some remarkable story in regard to the season. 

 In Mr. A's garden, a bouquet of violets was gathered ; in 

 Mr. B's, a newly expanded rose was picked; in that of 

 Mr. C, a full blown dandelion was cut ; and in that of Mr. 

 ;D, a <' petit head of lettuce, which had sprung up from seed, 

 w*as culled,'* and placed upon the editor's table as a proof of 

 the unusual weather. Such statements, accompanied with 

 the popular notion that plants must grow in such weather, 

 because they do when not so warm in spring, only serves to 

 •keep up the error, and augment the fears, that the fruit crop 

 is in imminent danger of entire destruction. 



That some plants are found in bloom during the continu- 

 ance of such weather, and that there is some foundation for 

 such newspaper paragraphs as we have just noticed, is cer- 

 tainly true ; but the cause is so well known to all who have 

 given any attention to the subject, that, though occurring 

 almost every year, they attract no attention or notice. Cer- 

 tain plants, under certain conditions, may scarcely be said to 

 be wholly at rest, and among them are the kinds which have 

 served for notices like the above. Pansies, which spring up 

 from seeds late in summer, are just ready to bloom on th^ 

 approach of winter, and if accidentally covered with snow 

 when there is no frost in the ground, or if slightly covered 

 with leaves, will, upon the first warm day Avhen the snow 

 leaves them, or the covering is removed, immediately open 

 their buds, which have been formed for weeks, and only 

 await a favorable opportunity to expand. So too with the 

 Bourbon and Noisette roses, which, in a warm climate, scarce- 

 ly stop growing the year round. Buds are constantly formed 

 on the terminal shoots ; these, from their straggling habit, 

 being often covered with foliage or dry leaves, or even lying 

 upon the ground, expand after a day or two of warm weather. 

 We have a Glorie dcs Rosamene rose, on the south side of 

 our house, in a sheltered situation, which was in flower with 

 the snow falling. The honeysuckle continues to grow till 



