A mild winter, thus far (contrasting most remarkably with the last two), has given opportunity for out-door employments that will greatly facilitate operations in the spring. December was almost unprecedentedly free from hard frost, and January here has been more like a spring month than is remembered for a very long time. On the 11th, we had lightning, and a heavy, warm rain, with the thermometer at 61°, and up to the period when we write (the 21st of January), it has been almost like May.

The following, compiled from the daily papers, will be curious to refer to hereafter: -

(river closed).

The foregoing is sufficient to record the extraordinary state of things in the middle of January, 1858. Vegetation, in some instances, has made progress, and, in New York city, we hear great complaints from travellers that mosquitos were very numerous in the well warmed hotels.

The Jasminum nudiflora never had, in our latitude, so fine an opportunity to display its winter beauty; the Chlmonanthus (winter flower) fragrans rejoiced in the mild season; the Red-bud Maple did its best to show out its blossoms, and, on the whole, we have had an experience which rendered Cuba no longer a necessity.

The last Flore des Serres contains, among other things, a well executed view of the opened fruit of Heliconia bipar, looking like a great Iris, and one of Eucharis Amazonica, a very fine variety of E. grandiflora, and a new white flowered Amaryllid.

The Potato Disease has made great progress in England and Ireland, the past season. So convinced of the injurious effects of the potato are some of our physicians, that they have denied their use to children, as liable to create eruptions, and to injure the stomach. It is becoming a serious thing, indeed. We refer the reader to an article on the Chardon potato in the present number.

The Weather #1

Up to the 10th of February, we had, in this region, weather which allowed out-door operations, but, on the 11th, the thermometer marked 140 above zero - a difference of 340 in twenty-four hours. Ice dealers began to rejoice, and commenced their operations on the 13th. The 14th opened with a snow-storm, and the cold continues as we write, on the 21st.

Weather #1

The shout which fell in early March disappeared on the 15th, when the bluebirds began to sing, and we are, as we go to press, sanguine of approaching gardening weather.

The Notes of the Mouth, in our present number, will be found to be quite spicy and interesting. Mr. Saunders holds a ready and able pen, which we have some difficulty in getting him to wield often enough; Cincinnatus has drawn him out in defence in a manner that makes his " Note Preliminary" one for reference. The readers of that curious, facetious, and valuable book by Chandos Wren Hoskyns, republished by Lewis F. Allen in Buffalo, 1854, the " Chronicles of a Clay Farm," will recognize the agreement between the book as well as between the writings of the most scientific agricultural writers and the " Notes of the Month" for April.

The Weather #2

There has prevailed extensively for a couple of months past a severe drought, which, with frost and snow, has been productive of much injury to fruit in various sections of the country, if our correspondence is to be relied upon. Mr. Garrett, writing from Calhoun, Henry Co., Mo., says, " We have not had rain enough to wet the ground two inches deep for two months, and last night there was frost sufficient to kill the corn and potatoes to the ground; and the leaves on some of the peach-trees, with the tender branches, are killed. Of course the tender fruits are all killed. Had it not been for this disaster, there would have been an abundance of fruit in this country".