Horticulture in the United States, for 1849. 3 



For the first time for many years, and beyond the recollec- 

 tion of most persons, there was almost an entire failure of the 

 crop of apples and pears, hardy fruits, which usually resist 

 the most severe cold and sudden changes of weather ; but to 

 what cause this can be attributed is yet unknown. Our cor- 

 respondent, Mr. Cabot, of Salem, in an article in a future 

 page, has offered some remarks upon this subject, and sug- 

 gested whether it was not the warm weather of December, 

 1848, followed by severe cold, which produced such disas- 

 trous results ; and though we have no positive facts by which 

 we can deny that to have been the cause, still, more informa- 

 tion is wanted before we can admit the conclusions he has 

 arrived at. But, as some aid to this end, we shall recapitu- 

 late the changes of the weather through the year, as deduced 

 from our own observations. 



Just as we were sending to press the matter for our annual 

 summary of 1848, (Dec. 16,) the weather was unusually mild 

 and pleasant for the season, with the thermometer at 50*^ : 

 but, although we carefully inspected various trees in different 

 parts of the nursery, we could not see that the buds were 

 any more swollen than usual. On the 28th of December, 

 snow fell, succeeded by cold so severe that the mercury fell 

 to zero on the morning of the 24th. On the 27th and SOth, 

 snow again fell, to the depth of one foot. 



January was not less severe. It opened with the tempera- 

 ture at 2° above zero ; on the 2d, 8° below ; the 3d, 4° above ; 

 and continued cold to the 10th, when it again sunk to zero ; 

 falling still further, on the 11th, to 11° below, and the 12th, 

 to 6° below. Rain fell on the 13th, succeeded by a warm 

 day on the 14th, But, on the 19th, the temperature again 

 sunk to 4P below zero ; became warmer on the 21st, and then 

 changed to cold, and continued so to the end of the 

 month. 



February was a very cold month. Snow fell on the 1st, 2d 

 and 5th, but on the 8th the thermometer indicated 10° below 

 zero again ; 4° below on the 10th ; 6° below on the 13th ; 

 2° below on the 14th ; 6° below on the 15th ; and 12° be- 

 low on the 16th, which was the lowest point it reached, at 



