Observations upon the Season of 1849. 17 



The peach trees in the vicinity of Boston were seriously 

 injured, and the crop destroyed ; though in some places, not 

 very remote, they seem to have escaped harm. In this city 

 the peaches were entirely destroyed, and much of the last 

 year's growth of the trees killed ; yet within a few miles to 

 the northward, from trees standing, in two instances at least. 

 on bleak and exposed hills, an abundant crop was gathered. 

 In the interior of the State it is understood that the sup- 

 ply of this fruit was liberal. 



The cherries were to a great extent destroyed. Plums 

 were nearly or quite as abundant as usual. In the other 

 States of New England, except Maine, and in New York, 

 the apples, it is represented, failed, or produced much less 

 than an average crop. In Maine, on the contrary, and in the 

 British Provinces, it is said they were unusually abundant ; 

 and while here and in this neighborhood the pears were so 

 almost universally destroyed, it is stated that in Portsmouth 

 and its vicinity there was never a better yield of that fruit. 



For this general destruction of the fruit, though univer- 

 sally attributed to some of the effects of the previous winter, 

 different specific causes have been assigned. Some persons 

 have imputed it to the severe cold of the winter only : oth- 

 ers have regarded the late frosts of April, or the blasting in- 

 fluences of the very cold easterly winds of the spring, as the 

 more immediate cause ; while still others, who were disposed 

 to regard neither of these supposed causes as satisfactorily 

 accounting for the various phenomena exhibited, have as- 

 signed to the combined effects of the warm weather of De- 

 cember, and the severe cold of the last of that month and of 

 the succeeding January and February, the destruction expe- 

 rienced. Although it is not supposed that the cause last 

 suggested will accord with the experience of every fruit- 

 grower for the past season, but will leave some facts unac- 

 counted for, yet it is believed that it will better correspond 

 with effects generally witnessed than any other that has been 

 suggested, leaving the explanation of such facts as militate 

 with this supposition to be sought for in some peculiar cir- 

 cumstances of each case. With respect to these instances of 



VOL, XVI. NO. I. 3 



