In reply to your desire to know the effect of the past winter upon the newer Evergreens, I regret I shall be compelled to give you an unsatisfactory result A winter so unprecedented in its character as that of 1855-6, followed so immediately by one even more severe and continuous in its cold, as the one just past, conld not fail to be everything that was disastrous.

In addition to the excessively low temperature, we have suffered (both winters) from severe and chilling storms of rain and sleet, which completely covered the trees with ice, breaking them down, and doing immense damage. This, in connection with two such winters, has thrown ont quite a large number of Evergreens, which, up to 1855,1 was more than tolerably successful in cultivating. For instance: Both Cedars of Lebanon and Deodar Cedars, which have, under our preceding winters, gone through without even browning, and attained a size of twelve to fifteen feet, have, in the case of the Cedars of Lebanon, become annually deciduous, and, with Deodars (which are unquestionably less hardy), been cut down to the level of the snow-line; so also with Abies Morinda, Douglasii, Cephalonica, Pinsapo, Mensesii, and Picea Webbiana. They have all this winter lost their foliage, though the bark is good, and the buds plump and green.

If, consequently, our winters are to assume in future the character of the two last, our list of Evergreens which can be depended upon, will be of course much reduced. If, on the contrary, these extraordinary winters are only to appear occasionally, there are many additions to the list which would survive and even flourish, with only one or two severe winters to five or six fair ones. Upon the first supposition,. I think I can say that the following are perfectly hardy without protection, even in such winters as the two past: -

Foliage untouched -

Pinus Lambertiana,

" Ponderosa,

" Sylvestris,

" Sylvestris pumila,

" Strobus,

" Strobus nana,

" Pumilia,

" Austriaca,

" Excelsa,

" Monticolo,

" Benthamiana,

" Cembra,

" Gerardiana,

" PyrenaiCa,

" Brutia,

" Halepensis. UNtoUchEd -

Picea Pectinata,

" Pendula,

" Balsameana,

" Balsameana folia variegatis,

" Pichta,

" Fraseri!,

" Nobilis,

" Nordmaniana. Foliage uhtouched -

Abies Clanbrasiliensis,

" Elegans,

" Pumila,

" Compacta,

" Pygmaea,

Foliage untouched - Abies Hudsonii,

" Orientalis,

" Alba,

" Nigra. Good, but browned - Abies Menzesii, " Cephalonica, " Pinsapo. Juniperus Sueica, " Communis, " Pendula, " Bedfordiana, " Chinensis, " Hispanica, " Prostrata, " Nana, " Tamarioifolia, " Sabina. Thuja Orientalis, " Occidentalis, " Aurea,

" Aurea Americana, " Siberica, " Plicata, " Tartarica, " Nepalensis, " Filiformis. Widringtonia ericoides, Torreya tazifolia,

Cepholotaxus Fortunii (male and female), Thnieopsis borealis.

All the above have passed the two last winters, and many previous ones,-most successfully, without losing leaf or bud. To these may be added others, which, though having lost foliage, the bnds seem generally good; such as -

Pinus Ayacwhuite, " Montosuma, " Macrocarpa,

Abies Jezoensis, " Pindrow, " Webbiana, " Smithii, " Douglasii.

Cedrus Libani, " Deodara, " Africana.

Cupressus Thyoides,

Cupressus, Foils variegatis, " Horixontalis, " Funebris. Saxe-Gothaea conspicua, Fiiz-Roya Patagonica. Taxus Baccata, " Hibernica, " Elegans, " Elegantissima, " Dovaston. Yellow-berried, Japonica, and Adpressa. Chamaecy paris, speroidea variegata.

And thirdly, the following have stood perfectly well in an Erergreen wood where they got little or no sun: -

Cryptomeria viridis,

" nana, Arauoaria imbricata,

Deodara nana,

" viridis, Cunninghamia sinensis.

It is not desirable, perhaps, for me to mention the complete failures, of which Libro-Cedrus Chiliensis is one, and I am afraid the Pampas Grass is another - at least, it has not yet shown signs of life.

In conclusion, I will mention, among the newer things which promise well, the White and the Violet Wistaria, the Kilmarnock and Rosemary Leaf Willow, and • Weeping Amelanchier, of which Messrs. Ellwanger and Barry have fine specimens. And among the untried Evergreens -

Cupressus Torrulosa, " Tournefortil, " Lusitanica (Cedar of Goa); beautiful. " Macrocarpa. Pinus Jeffreyi*, " Californica, " Tuberculata, " Patula,

Pinus Nivea,

" Palustris.

" Calabriensis.

" Spiralis. Juniperus Californica. Thuja Macrocarpa,

" Washingtonia gigantea.

" Decurrens,

" Doniana.