Horticulture in the United States, for 1849. 5 



to the 10th, and again on the 19th and 20th, when a great 

 quantity of rain fell. With the exception of the heavy rains, 

 the month was very favorable to out-door operations. De- 

 cember began with the temperature as low as 10^ on the 2d, 

 with a light snow on the 3d, and continued moderate, with 

 occasional squalls of snow, up to the present date (20th). 



The season, with the exception of the drought of June 

 and July, appears to have been favorable to the growth of 

 fruit trees ; the fall having been prolonged and mild, the 

 wood has ripened finely ; and, recovering their strength by 

 having no crop, they are filled with flower-buds. Should 

 the winter be favorable, a great crop will undoubtedly reward 

 the cultivator the coming year. 



It is somewhat remarkable that the failure of the fruit 

 crop, the last year, should have been so general. We con- 

 versed with gentlemen from almost every State in the Union, 

 at the Pomological Conventions, last autumn, and they all 

 complained of the scarcity of fruit, — particularly of apples 

 and pears. It is the more remarkable, from the fact that the 

 failure was not produced by the same causes. In the south 

 and Vv'est, late spring frosts destroyed the blossoms. 



The principal supply of apples has been obtained from 

 northern New York, and Maine, where the crop was nearly 

 an average one. Peaches were abundant in high and ex- 

 posed localities, throughout the State. The crop of grapes 

 was large and excellent. 



HORTICULTURE. 



The subject of Pomology, just now attracting so much 

 attention, has had its full share of space in our last volume. 

 Many of the choicest varieties of pears, apples, plums, &,c., 

 have been figured and described ; and among them several 

 which have been for the first time made known to cultiva- 

 tors. The scanty crop, however, has prevented, for a season, 

 an opportunity to figure and describe some new sorts, which 

 have been so highly extolled abroad that amateur cultivators 

 are anxious to see specimens of the fruit, that they may be 

 able to learn whether they fulfil the expectations which have 



