VIIL 



Facts serving to show the comparative forwardness of the siirins: 



season in different parts of the United States. 



BY JACOB BIGELOW, JSL B. 



RrMFORD PROFESSOIl AND LECTURER 0\ MA'J'EIUA MEDICA ATT) B()T\\\ 



IN IIVUVARD LMVEHSITY. 



T was suggested to me some years since by the late Tenera- 

 ble Dr, Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania, that if a series of Calendars 

 of vegetation should be kept for the same year in different parts of 

 the United States, and the whole published collectively ; the re- 

 suit would be valuable, by affording an actual view of the compar- 

 ative forwardness of the season in the vaiions latitudes and situ- 

 ations of the country. This suggestion was interesting to me^ 

 because it was evident that a course of observations taken on the 

 same year would afford m« re accurate grounds for compariscui, 

 than auy which might casually be made in different years, and sub- 

 ject to the variation of different seasons. As the plan was never 

 executed by Dr, Muhlenberg, I determined to attempt carrying it 

 into effect after his death. With this view, in the autumn and 

 winter of 1816, 1 wrote to correspondents in various sections of 

 the country, requesting them to observe and note down the time of 

 flowering in 1817 of the common fruit trees, and a few other plants 



r 



which were'suggested, as being probably found in most parts of 



the United States. In reply to these applications I received very 



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