562 



IMPOUNDED ANIMALS. 



Whole number impounded, 122. Goats, 35 ; cows, 18 ; horses, 

 23 ; swine, 44. 



SKATING. 



The last season of skating commenced December 16th, 1871, 

 and closed February 28th, 1872. 

 Number of skating days, 55. 



PLANTING. 



The statistics of the planting department for the year 1872 will 

 show smaller aggregates in the several tables, than those of pre- 

 vious years. This may be accounted for, in part, as follows : The 

 season for the most profitable planting in the spring was materially 

 shortened by the unfavorable weather in March and April, followed 

 by rapid expansion of the buds when warm weather actually set in. 

 The necessary removal of the large nursery on the line of the 

 eastern parkway, trenched somewhat upon our spring planting, as 

 some of the stock had to be transferred to new nursery grounds, 

 and does not enter into the tables other than as stock in nurseries. 



The unprecedented destruction of evergreens during the month 

 of March, 1872, over so large a portion of the country, did not 

 altogether pass us by, although the loss on Prospect Park was far 

 less than was at first supposed. Some species of evergreens which 

 heretofore have been considered sufficiently hardy for higher lati- 

 tudes than our own, were badly damaged or entirely destroyed. 

 The ordinary methods used for the protection of plants of doubt- 

 ful hardiness were of no avail. This may have been the result of 

 the sudden and remarkable fall of temperature, accompanied by 

 cold, piercing winds which followed weather in February so mild 

 as to have induced premature activity in many plants. The ab- 

 sence of snow during the late winter months and early spring, was 

 doubly unfortunate. Had there been a body of snow on the 

 ground in February, warmer weather than was experienced during 

 that month, would have been required to have melted the snow and 

 raised the temperature of the ground, thus sodden with cold snow 

 water sufficiently for any undue movement of sap. 



The unusual frosts of March came upon ground, dry and com- 

 paratively warm, and coming without snow (the natural protection 

 of roots against severe cold), great loss was inevitable. One of 

 the results of this misfortune, was the necessary time taken from 

 our short planting season to repair damages on the older planta- 



