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Show WASHINGTON j : ON NATURE : A GREAT deal of rain fell lust night and the heaviest sleet I ever recollect to huve seen. The boughs of all the trees were lncrusted by tubes of Ice quite round, at least hulf an Inch thick the weight of' which was so great that my late transplantations trans-plantations In muny instances sunk under it, either by bending the bodies of the young trees breaking the limbs or weighing up the roots the largest pines In my outer circle were quite oppressed by the Ice and bowed to the ground, and the largest catalpa trees had some of their principal branches broken." "A greot honr frost and Ice. at least one-eighth of an Inch thick what Injury In-jury this may have done to the fruit and vegetation will soon be seen. The buds of every kind of tree and shrub are swelling the tender leaves of many hud unfolded the apricot bloe-soms bloe-soms were putting forth the peaches arid cherries were upon the point of doing the same. The lpaves of the apple trees were coming out, those of rlie weeping willow und the lilac had been out many days and were the first to show themselves. The sassafras was ready to open the red bud had begun to open but not to make any show; the dogwood had swelled Into buttons. The service tree was showing show-ing its leaf, and the maple had been full In bloom ten days or a fortnight. Of this tree, I observed great difference differ-ence In the colour of the blossoms; some being of a deep scarlet, bordering border-ing upon crimson, others of a pale red, approaching yellow. . . "Found What Is called, the spire hush (a fragrant aromatic shrub) In bloom perceived this to be the case on Monday, also as I returned from Alexandria and supposed It had been blown two or three days It Is a small greenish flower, growing round the twigs and branches, and will look well In a shrubbery." "Its light and airy foliage, crimson and variegated flowers, presented a gny and mirthful appearance; continually contin-ually whilst In bloom visited by the brilliant thundering humming gird." Quotations from Washington In James II. Pennlmnn's "George Wushlngton as n Man of Letters." |
