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with its outer rind, or green shell." At 4518, the Encyclopædia of Gardening, enumerates eight varieties of free-stone nectarines, viz.:

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Forsyth recommends for a small garden, those which are marked (*). The Elruge, Fairchild's, and Scarlet, ripen in August; the three others in September. Consult LINDLEY'S Guide.

Culture, &c. are precisely the same as for the Peach. (See 83, et seq.)

Subject 3. The ALMOND TREE:-Amygdalus, of Linnæus.

128. The common almond, or sweet almond, A. communis, and the bitter almond, A. amara, are both trees of great beauty, with blush-coloured, or pure white blossoms, and large spear-shaped leaves, resembling those of the peach: the chief distinction is in the fruit, the only eatable part of which in the almond, is the kernel.

The almond is a native of Barbary, and of most eastern countries; it is much cultivated in France, Spain, and Italy.

There are eight or nine varieties of the almond tree; but three only are valuable as fruit-bearers:

The common sweet almond, The common bitter almond, The sweet Jordan.

Culture. This tree is raised from the stones; and if intended for ornamenting the shrubbery, it need not be budded: but if fruit be the object, budding should be performed on almond or plumstocks: the latter are preferable for most soils; the former for dry situations. The almond tree is peculiarly suitable to the shrubbery, and sometimes will produce fruit: it bears chiefly on the wood of the previous year, and occasionally, on short spurs of the two years' old wood in the former respect it resembles the peach and nectarine; in the latter, the apricot, and should therefore be pruned like those trees.

PART II.

OPERATIONS IN THE FRUIT DEPARTMENT.

129. Prune-in all cases where the work still remains unfinished, and speedily; for the sap now begins to be in motion; and if the leaves be not expanded some will lose sap.

Plant-fruit trees of all descriptions; among others, the mulberry. Plantations of currants, gooseberries, raspberries, and strawberries, may now be made: copious flooding with water will be required.

Graft-all kinds of trees, throughout the month, at various periods, as the weather may indicate.

Protect by mulching of cow-dung, or by littery manure, fresh planted trees; place it round the stems in a kind of basin, and then draw the earth over it, to preserve a neat appearance.

Propagate-vines, by layers, cuttings, or by buds or spur eyes, placed in pots, an inch deep under the mould; then plunge the pots in the ground below their rims.

Dig-between currant and gooseberry trees, and deeply hoe between strawberry plants.

MISCELLANEOus.

130. Plant-Box-edgings; also flowering shrubs; roses, Persian lilacs, althæa frutex, dwarf almond, &c. &c.

In flower borders, anemone and ranunculus roots, and many herbaceous plants; pinks, sweet-williams, Canterbury bells, polyanthus, auricula, dwarf gentian, daisies, &c. &c.

Sow in the borders, all kinds of annual flower-seeds of the hardier species; as larkspur, hawkweed, lupin, mignonette, towards the third or fourth week. All the best kinds in pots and pans, in heat.

Keep the borders, and all the departments, very neat.

Protect by covering of canvass, beds of tulips, hyacinths, anemones, &c. if violent rains, or severe frosty winds occur.

Garden Shrubs and Plants now in flower.

Shrubs. The Almond, Amygdalus; Mezereon, Daphne Mezereum, D. Pontica; Rhododendron, the Dauric.

Perennial flowers.-Primrose and Oxlip, Primula vulgaris et elatior, Primula sinensis; Violet, Viola odorata; Hellebore, Helleborus viridis; Alpine Soldanella, S. alpina; Hepaticas, Anemone hepatica.

Bulbs. Fumitory, Corydalis bulbosa; Purple Cyclamen, Cyclamen coum; Early Tulip, Tulipa tricolor; Jonquil, Narcissus odorus; Snowflake, Leucojum vernum; Crocus, Cr. vernus; Dog's-tooth Violet, Erythronium dens-canis; Hyacinth and Grape ditto, Hyacinthus orientalis et racemosus; Daffodil, Narcissus pseudo-narcissus,

THE NATURALISTS' CALENDAR.

MARCH.

"MARCH many weathers," "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," were the quaint but expressive sayings of those of "the olden time," long before the alteration of the style. The sun has now gained so much power, that there is an increase in average temperature of about six degrees, and evaporation becomes very considerable. The vernal equinox takes place during this month, and experience seems to authorize the conclusion, that according to the character which the weather assumes about that period, the succeeding summer will, in all probability, be either wet or dry. Kirwan and others have given rules founded upon repeated observations, from which some probable opinion may be formed. It appears to me to be placed beyond doubt, that if north or north-east winds prevail on or about the period of the equinox, that is, from about the 18th to the 25th of the month; and especially if the barometer be high, and the mercury show convexity, that the succeeding summer will generally be dry. If, on the contrary, south or south-west winds prevail, if the weather be wet, and the mercury falling, the succeeding summer will, with greater probability be wet*. It does not seem improbable that at the period when the sun shines perpendicularly upon the equator, illuminating the whole hemisphere, so as to cause equal day and night throughout the world; the electro-magnetism of our planet, and possibly that of the moon also, may be so regulated by the sun's electrizing principle, as to induce a peculiar modification of atmospherical

* Kirwan says, "If there be a storm at south-west, or west-south west on the 19th, 20th, 21st, or 22d of March, the succeeding summer is generally wet, five times in six." I quote from memory, and cannot determine the grounds upon which he forms his opinion. The March of 1828 was dry and serene till the 18th, with the barometer at an average about thirty inches, but west and south-west winds generally prevailed. On the 18th, the barometer began to decline; the mercurial column fell rapidly; cumulo-cirro stratus, or compound, suffused cloud formed, and a south-west gale succeeded: the wind, however, veered to westnorth-west early on the 19th, and during this period the equinoctial point was passed. Such were my own local observations: the character of the succeeding summer requires no elucidation; it was not at all local, but everywhere wet.

The equinoctial periods of 1829 and 1830 indicated wet summers; those on the contrary of 1831, 1832, 1834, and 1835, predicted fine, or dry summers; the results corresponded.

currents about the equatorial regions, that shall influence the general state of the winds in distant latitudes. There are only two periods of the year when the sun is so situated with regard to the earth, and these periods are the two equinoxes. Will it be too daring, to conjecture that, at the periods when the ecliptic coincides with the equinoctial, the sun influences the electricity, or electromagnetism of the earth, so as to induce a character or modification which shall predominate during the greater part of the succeeding year?

The average height of the barometer is about 29 in. 90 cts.

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In the first week. The frog, (Rana temporaria,) appears and croaks; ring-dove, (Columba palumba,) coos; pheasant, (Phasianus gallus,) crows; wryneck, (Jynx torquilla,) appears; yellow wagtail, (Motacilla flava,) sings; duck, (Anas boschas,) and goose, (Anas anser,) lay; peacock butterfly, (Papilio Io,) appears.

Second week. The crow, (Corvus cornix,) builds; goldencrested wren, (Motacilla regulus,) sings; lady-bird, (Coccinella bipunctata,) appears; jack-daw, (Corvus monadula,) appears about churches or old trees; tortoise-shell butterfly, (Papilio urticæ,) is

seen.

Third week. Black ants, (Formica nigra,) appear; blackbird, (Turdus merula,) lays; wheat-ear, (Motacilla ænanthe,) appears; willow wren, (Motacilla, or Sylvia trochilus,) seen; house pigeons, (Columba domestica,) sit; snake, (Coluber natrix,) appears.

Fourth week. The greenfinch, (Fringilla chloris,) sings; buzzfly, (Bombylius medius,) appears; horse-ant, (Formica herculiana,) and flies of various kinds, (Musca,) appear: in early seasons some of the swallow tribe and other summer migrating birds return.

APRIL.

SECTION I.

SCIENCE OF GARDENING.

THE ATMOSPHERE.

131. THE grand natural agent which, next in order to water, lays claim to particular notice, is the aërial fluid that entirely surrounds our planet, and extends, as is generally believed, to the altitude of about forty-five miles. The atmosphere, as well as water, was formerly considered as one of the four elements; and even in the present advanced, or rather, advancing state of science, when the compound, decomposable nature of the atmosphere, cannot rationally be questioned, the nature of that peculiar gas which constitutes full 77 parts out of every 100 of the whole aerial volume, is still not only undetermined, but there exists a material difference of opinion on the nature of that union by which the atmospheric gases are held together;-one set of philosophers conceiving that the gases are chemically united; while another contends that their union is merely mechanical, or one of simple mixture. In this state of doubt and uncertainty, a state which proves our chemical knowledge to be still in its infancy,-such passages from works of acknowledged authority are selected, as may tend to throw some light upon the origin and existing state of received opinions.

132. On the cause of elasticity in aëriform fluids, or gases.— Lavoisier lays it down as a law, that gaseous elasticity depends upon that of Caloric, which seems to be the most eminently elastic body in nature: at the same time he admits, "that this is only an explanation of elasticity, by an assumption of elasticity;" and that "we only remove the difficulty one step further, and the reason for the elasticity of caloric still remains unexplained." This explanation he seems to find in the fact, "that when we produce a vacuum in a large receiver of an air-pump, the last portion of air which remains, extends itself uniformly through the whole capacity of the vessel, however large it be a true repulsion takes place between the particles of elastic fluids; at least, circumstances occur exactly as if such repulsion actually existed; and we have a right to conclude, that the

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