48 
THE FLORIST’S JOURNAL. 
THE WEATHER FOR JANUARY. 
In noticing the weather for December, we remarked that it had set in for 
what may he called a good and wholesome, hut very severe, winter. The frost 
which set in in December, and was soon followed by a mantling of snow, did 
not give way till the close of the month; and then it did so only partially, and 
for a short time. There seemed to be a sort of electric repulsion between the 
atmosphere and the earth, so that they could not work together; but after this 
partial thaw, a severe thunder storm, extending over many parts of England, 
occurred on the morning of the 3d instant. Unless in damage to a few 
steeples, this thunder storm, which was as violent as unexpected, appears to 
have done no harm whatever, but, on the contrary, to have opened a free com¬ 
munication between the heavens and the earth. The first effect was in exces¬ 
sive cold, increasing in intensity every day until the 7th, when in some of the 
low lying places, though there was little or no wind, the thermometer stood at 
zero nearly all the day long. On this day a very unusual phenomenon pre¬ 
sented itself. A gentleman gardener, in lifting some trees which had lain 
felled on the ground for some months, observed under them a full-sized toad 
as awake and lively as though it had been in the dog days. Soon after this 
the frost partially gave way, and there were alternate freezing during the night 
and thawing during the day. On the Saturday week after the severest frosty 
day, a lady observed some animal in the lane before her, getting on with un¬ 
gainly steps, and with its eyes glaring very brilliantly in the reflected light. 
Upon examining this animal, she found it also was a toad ; and it appeared 
to be making its escape from a nest which the rain had flooded, to any more 
dry situation which it might be able to find. These simple facts are not un¬ 
worthy the notice of naturalists, as we believe they run counter to some of 
their favourite theories. That what we have stated are facts, however, there is 
not the least reason to doubt. 
When, a few days after this, the original snow and ice had wholly disappeared, 
it was found that, wherever the snowy covering had been laid, and it was pretty 
general, not the most delicate flower or culinary vegetable had sustained the 
slightest injury. Their appearance was far superior to what it would have 
been had they been covered with mats, straw, litter, or any substance warmer 
than snow. We shall not, however, enter more largely at present into the effect 
of snow u^on growing vegetables ; but shall reserve it for a general article we 
purpose to write on that subject. Since then there have been alternate falls of 
snow and rain, with tranquil and sunshine weather interspersed between ; and 
if we may judge from present appearances, we should say that everything is in 
fair train for an early and favourable spring. 
