Observations upon the Season of 1849. 21 



products of that year, — especially of any novelty that may 

 have been introduced, — may be, on several accounts, desira- 

 ble or advantageous. It would be, at least, convenient for 

 subsequent reference, or for the purpose of future comparison. 

 The preceding very imperfect summary of the past season is 

 placed at your disposal, for such purposes as you may 

 choose, — to be used or not, as you think proper. 



Salem, December, 1849. 



Such a communication scarcely requires comment from us. 

 It is one of the most valuable retrospects of the year just 

 past, either generally or pomologically considered ; and that 

 portion of it which discusses the peculiarities of the weather 

 must furnish a subject of reflection to every cultivator. Such 

 a disastrous year for fruit has not been known scarcely with- 

 in the remembrance of that renowned personage, the ''oldest 

 inhabitant;" and it is important that all the facts which have 

 any reference to it should be made known, that, if possible, 

 the true cause of such destruction may be solved. And we 

 hope that any of our correspondents, who can add anything 

 to confirm what Mr. Cabot has advanced as the probable 

 cause of the great injury to the buds of fruit trees, the last 

 year, will communicate the same. 



We have already alluded to the loss of the crop of fruit, 

 (XV, p. 339,) and remarked that we " should not have the 

 opportunity for at least a year " of testing many new varieties 

 of pears. Still, there have been some fruits, not precisely 

 fully proved, which have been produced in fine perfection, 

 and some of them Mr. Cabot has briefly noticed. What 

 gives us exceeding gratification is, to learn that he has so 

 high an opinion of the Swan's Orange pear. We have al- 

 ways felt confident it would sustain the high reputation we 

 gave it, in our description, (Vol. XIII, p. 247,) as well as in 

 our Fruits of America, notwithstanding some cultivators 

 seemed unwilling to allow it to be anything more than a 

 good pear. 



In conclusion, we would hope that other amateur cultiva- 

 tors may be induced to give us the results of their experience 



