98 Notes and Descriptions of several Varieties of 



ing been preceded by a succession of very warm days. The 

 first snow of the year fell during the last days of the former 

 month, and at no time during the latter did the thermometer 

 rise to 60°, an event that has not occurred before for 28 

 years ; while, during the whole intermediate time, the weather 

 was generally cold and inclement. 



The December of 1851 was the coldest since that of 1835. 

 Upon four different times during the month, viz., on the 17th, 

 18th, 26th and 27th, the mercury fell to 0, or below. Jan- 

 uary, 1852, was very cold, with but little clear weather ; on 

 three of its days, the theraioraeter indicated a degree of cold 

 below ; on one of these days, viz., on the 20th, of from 12 

 to 14 degrees, while on several other days in the month the 

 mercury fell to nearly that point. On 15 out of the first 19 

 days of the month, snow fell : and for the whole month there 

 was an unusually small number of clear bright days. The 

 weather of February was more mild, and for much of the 

 month pleasant and fine, yet still on three different times the 

 mercury fell nearly, if not quite, to zero. For nearly the 

 whole of December, January and February, the ground was 

 well covered with snow ; as evidence of this, the fact may 

 be stated, that there were sixty successive days of sleighing. 



The two first months of the spring were cold, wet, and 

 disagreeable ; while, as if to make amends, the last was warm 

 and pleasant. In March and April, an uncommon quantity 

 of rain and snow fell ; but May was dry, so much so that, by 

 the last of the month, the want of rain began to be seriously 

 felt. 



The summer of 1852 may be characterized as very dry ; 

 yet, with the exception of a series of very hot days at two 

 different periods, not very warm. The drought was of long 

 duration and wide extent, reaching, with its intensity occa- 

 sionally alleviated, (especially on the seaboard,) by fine 

 showers, from June to the latter days of August. 



The autumn was fine, the weather warm and pleasant, 

 with a sufficient supply of rain. So long delayed were the 

 frosts, and so fine was this season of the year, that dahlias in 

 gardens were not killed until October 17th, and the usual 



