In compliance with your request, in the April number of the Horticulturist, I send an account of the effects of the past winter on our fruit buds. The winter although long and cold, was exceeded by that of 1835-36, both in amount of snow and cold, the thermometer being a number of times 18° and 20° below zero. Bearing quince and peach trees were killed, although there was no frost in the ground, and the snow four to five feet deep. The plum buds were killed. During the past winter the falls of snow were light, at no time exceeding nine or ten inches. The thermometer in our garden, protected on the east and north by buildings, stood at daylight, on 17th December, 6° below zero, 2° below on 26th, 10° below on 27th. On 20th January 6° below, 22d 11° be-low, 23d 8° below. In the outskirts of the city, and on College Hill, at 18° below on the 22d. In our city gardens the plum buds are partly killed; peach and fine cherries, all killed; Mo-rello and common cherry, partly killed. At my father's farm, a little N.E. from the College, the peach, cherry and plum buds are all killed.

The varieties of plum are Egg, Green Gage, Washington, Jefferson, Columbia,Coe's Golden Drop, Huling's Superb, Frost Gage, Coe'sLate Red, Ice. Cherries, Elton, Black Tartarian, Bigarrean, Mayduke, Knight, Early Black, Downton, Downer's Late, Black Eagle, Bigar-reau Coleur d'Chair. Belle d'Choisy, Coe's Transparent. Dubois' Early Apricot, also killed. The farm Is about half a mile east of the Mohawk, and about a hundred feet above it, slopingto the west; soil stiff clay with plenty of slate stone, partly underdrained. Some years ago I became satisfied that our tender fruit buds were not only injured by the severe cold of winter, but also by the sudden thawing after hard frost. As a general rule after a very cold night, we have a bright sun in the morning till 10 or 11 o'clock,when it becomes cloudy. I have observed here and there in our city gardens, a peach tree, protected by some building from the morning sun till 10 or 11 o'clock, which will blossom and bear some fruit, when the buds of trees exposed to early sun were killed. It is so this year. Yesterday I examine ed the buds of an early Nectarine, in our gar. den, and a peach in the garden of a friend, (both protected,) and they were sound, while on exposed trees they are killed.

A few years since, in the early part of September, I visited one of the Shaker families, about nine miles east of us, in "Watervliet, and their peach orchard had an abundance of fine fruit, although the thermometer, the previous winter, was down to 8° or 10° below aero, and our buds were killed. The trees were on the west side of a hill, just high enough to shield them from the sun till 10 or 11 o'clock; soil sand. I have kept a record of the weather for more than 20 years, and find that when we have the ther. mometer a little below zero, say two or three degrees in the early part of December, it is more fatal than 10° below aero in February, if the cold has not been bo great previously. This year our buds were killed in December.

In a nursery near our farm, soil similar, the only variety of pear injured is the Bartlett, very badly, though the previous winter did not injure them at all. Yours truly, Charles H. Tomlimson. Schenectady, April 5,1852.