The yearly advancement in an art like gardening must be necessarily limited: improvements constantly arise, but there are few startling discoveries, or wonderful achievements, to record. Science is always unfolding something new to the cultivator, but experience only will confirm the value or importance of innovations upon established rules and systems. The old routine of practice is not to be thrown aside at once; neither should customs be pertinaciously adhered to which had their origin at an early period, and have become part and parcel of our knowledge. But the cultivator who would aim to excel, must make himself familiar with all the principles of the art; continual study and research, united with observation and experience, will then enable him to attain the most satisfactory and successful results.

The season of 1846 has been throughout New England as dry, or drier than the three previous dry ones of '43, '44 and '45; that is, there has been less rain during the summer of 1846, than during that of 1845; yet vegetation has gone on as if the season had been nearly an average one as regards moisture; trees have made a most remarkable growth; crops have been generally exceedingly good; there was a good yield of grass, and the fruit crop was far above an average one. All this, however, has taken place in the absence of actual rain; but if we could know exactly the atmospheric moisture, we should find that it has been very much greater than in 1845; there has been a constant succession of cloudy, misty and hazy weather throughout the summer and fall, which has so far prevented evaporation, that what rain has fallen has had the greatest effect.

The winter of 1845 and 1846 was considerably colder than that of 1843 and 1844. It commenced very early in the west; large quantities of snow fell; and a series of severe frosts injured all kinds of roots and plants, killing many, which had stood out for years, quite down to the ground. January was tolerably mild, with one heavy drifting snow which, however, nearly disappeared the latter part of the month. February was a cold and stormy month, with two drifting snows, and good sleighing the whole month; the thermometer indicating 6° below zero. March, on the contrary, was a month of more than ordinarily mild weather, the

snow disappearing under a warm sun, leaving the ground with but little frost at the close. April continued the same, with scarcely a moderate rain during the entire month; planting commenced early in consequence of the dry and fine weather, and fruit trees were in bloom the latter part of the month, promising an abundant crop. The month of May continued favorable; one or two rather severe frosts occurred, which injured the blossoms of fruit trees in some low and cool situations; at the close, several refreshing showers were highly beneficial to advancing vegetation. In June, cool weather set in, and the whole month was accompanied with cloudy, misty, and showery days, without, however, any great quantity of rain; this was highly favorable to grass crops, which had begun to suffer. July continued nearly the same with easterly winds. In August, hot weather set in, the thermometer attaining 100 degrees in the shade; and, but for cloudy and lowery days, vegetation would have suffered severely. September continued favorable, though still without rain. October was mild with no very severe frost until the Sth or 10th. November was quite different from the corresponding month in 1845, when 11 inches of rain fell: It continued mild till the 25th, when a light snow fell; this was succeeded by rain, but not sufficient to keep the ground open. Early in December more snow fell, and now (15th) covers the ground about 4 inches, with but an inch or two of frost in the earth beneath.

The season has been on the whole favorable. Apples were smaller than usual, owing to the drought, but the aggregate crop was heavy. Pears were not near so numerous, large, or handsome as last year; in some locations, the blossoms were injured by the early frosts. Peaches were never more abundant in the Middle and Western States, and there was a fine crop in New England. Plums were as plentiful as usual. The potato crop was but little affected by the rot in comparison with the season of 1845.

HORTICULTURE.

Under this head, we may refer to the strawberry question, as one of importance, and which at last has been satisfactorily settled. Four years has the subject been agitated, and during

this time the conflicting opinions of cultivators, in all parts of the country, have been recorded in our volumes. But until the experiments of the last year we have not been able to arrive at certain results. It was therefore with much pleasure that in our review of Mr. Longworth's pamphlet, in the last volume, (p. 358,) we had the opportunity to give our views at length, and views, we are happy to say, which coincide with the opinions of all intelligent cultivators.

So satisfactory has been the result, that we should not again occupy the attention of our readers with the subject, but for the purpose of noticing some strictures upon the opinions which we have from time to time advanced, while the question has been under the process of investigation, by our old correspondent, the Rev. Mr. Beecher, in the Western Farmer and Gardener. We have always had a high respect for Mr. Beecher's opinion, but, in the present instance, for some motive which does not appear, he has, by quotations here and there from our remarks, having reference to the opinions of our correspondents, falsified our views and endeavored to make it appear that we have advanced positive conclusions upon the question, without due investigation. This we deny; we have never had but one opinion upon the abstract question of fertile and sterile strawberries; but during the season of 1843, from facts which were contributed by several of the most observing and careful cultivators, we did doubt the necessity of staminate flowers to impregnate the pistillate ones, believing that sterility or fertility was greatly owing to the method of cultivation; and we then observed that as soon as convinced to the contrary, we should lose no time in informing our readers of the fact; we then immediately set about instituting a series of experiments to test this under our own eye; and when they were brought to a close the last season, we gave, as we promised, the results of our investigations,-satisfactory as they have been to all.

Some excellent Pomological articles have been contributed by our correspondent, Mr. Humrickhouse, one of the most important of which is that upon a uniform nomenclature of fruits; the principles which he advocates as necessary to carry out this, he has laid down in a plain and concise manner; and we trust they have been carefully read and consid

ered by all cultivators. Until these principles are acted upon, it will be useless to expect correctness in our catalogues of fruits. There is abroad among cultivators, as well as writers upon Pomology, a want of respect in regard to priority of names, and original descriptions. In Botanical science, the strictest propriety is observed in this respect; and, to prevent errors and confusion, it should be no less observed in Pomology.

The blight of the pear tree, so fatal in the west, has been the subject of an article by Mr. Ernst, (p. 135,) and he has given a very clear description of the manner in which the disease appears. But he has added nothing new to the remarks of Mr. Beecher, in our Vol. X. (p. 441.)

Another subject which has attracted considerable attention has been noticed by Mr. Ernst, viz., the duration of races of plants. Our experience is against the opinion of Mr. Knight, but how far the causes which Mr. Ernst alludes to, have any effect upon the vigor of a variety, remain to be tested by long and careful observation.

One of the most valuable papers which our last volume contains, is that of Mr. Humrickhouse, on the cultivation of the pear upon the apple; a great deal has been said by foreign writers about the excellence of the hawthorn and mountain ash, as a stock for the pear, and by some American journals. the apple; but so far as the latter is concerned, we think Mr. Humrickhouse has conclusively proved that, though fruit may be produced on the apple, the pear is the stock which, for orchard culture, must be relied on. For garden cultivation, the quince is decidedly preferable, and while the cultivators of Great Britain are imitating the method of the French, in adopting dwarf trees upon the quince, our own cultivators should not neglect to follow their example; the false notion that the quince is a very short-lived tree, is sufficiently refuted by the fact that a long row of quenouille trees in the Garden of the London Horticultural Society, which we saw in 1844, had been planted 25 years, and was then in the most vigorous and fruitful condition.

The conclusion of our European notes of gardens has given us space to bring up our Pomological notices; and during the year, we have given an account of all the new fruits of

importance, and also added the engravings and descriptions of eighteen kinds of pears, besides several apples and plums. The remarks of our correspondent, Mr. Manning, (p. 146,) embrace all the new fruits proved by him in 1845, and we have the promise of notes on such as have proved good the last year. The Leon le Clerc, which in 1845 created so much attention, did not fruit so well last year, probably owing to the hot summer; in many places, it cracked badly; but this should not induce any one to discard it; the experience of several successive seasons should always be required before deciding upon the merits of a new kind. The Dunmore has fruited again; but specimens from the President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, from a tree on the quince were not of so high a character as given by Mr. Thompson. A definite opinion must be deferred to another year. The true Monarch has not yet fruited, but it is hoped that specimens will be produced this year; trees received from various sources in England since the identification of the true kind by Mr. Thompson, have proved spurious. The following kinds of pears have proved to be valuable varieties, possessing qualities which entitle them to general cultivation :Henkel (Van Mons), Van Assene, Doyenné Boussock, Dallas, Doyenné gris d'Hiver Nouveau, Doyenné d'Eté, Knight's seedling, McLaughlin, Elizabeth (Van Mons), Coter, Ananas (of the French) Plumbgastel, Beurré d'Anjou,'Pratt, and some others. Some new grapes have been lately added to our already extensive list; in a future page will be found a notice of some of them by Mr. Allen, but we may name Wilmot's Black Hamburgh, New Black Hamburgh No. 16, Muscat Blanc Hatif, Cannon Hall muscat, Black Tripoli, Wortley Hall Seedling, and Macready's Early white, as fine additions to this excellent fruit. A favorable season for peaches has also brought to notice some new seedlings which we shall notice in the course of the volume.

As connected with the culture of the grape, which is every year rapidly extending, by means of cheap and appropriate structures, we should not omit to call attention to the capital article of Mr. Russell upon their management in the cold house. He has touched the whole ground, and, with moderate judgment, no person can fail to produce a fair crop of grapes, if his advice is followed.