It is safe to say that cultivators, as a rule, know little or nothing of the capabilities of evergreen trees and shrubs to renew a loss of foliage or recover vitality when, through some careless handling or extreme winter's cold and winds, their leaves have been destroyed and fallen. The Mahonia is almost always denuded of foliage when exposed to winter suns, or in positions where cold, cutting winds sweep over it; but it almost invariably renews its foliage with the spring vegetation and blooms at the regular time. The rhododendron goes through the same course, with similar results, although not as common to be seen, because most growers of it are instructed to place it in positions sheltered from southern suns or severe winter winds. A fine specimen of the rhododendron maximum, in the grounds of one of our friends, stands on the north side of his house, and although shielded from winter suns, yet has to endure severe blasts of wind. Entirely unsheltered from the north, this plant has for years almost regularly been denuded of much of its foliage, but it puts it on again with renewed spring growth, and blooms regularly and abundantly.

An-16 - august other friend has an English yew standing in a similar position, which often in early spring presents almost the appearance of a deciduous plant, yet it soon becomes clothed with foliage, and yearly makes a regular growth. Some time since one of our friends received a quantity of kalmias; from some cause they cast their leaves, and although our frien,d regarded them as dead, yet, as they came from a friend, and he himself was anxious to grow them, he planted them carefully in a shady position and mulched the ground with leaves. In a short time he noticed buds, and soon new leaves, and now, as we write, they. are well clothed with foliage.

Years since, before railroads were known at the West, a gentleman (Col. Simon Perkins) in Akron, O., received late in summer a barrel by canal. It lay in the warehouse several days after reaching its destination, and when opened was found to contain a quantity of balsam firs, all dry and without any special packing. He - supposing they came from some friend who might hereafter inquire about them - the Colonel, tried his hand at saving them, although he considered them quite dead. He first immersed them in water, soaking them, tops and roots, until the latter were pliable, and then he carefully planted them out, saturating the ground thoroughly with water and then mulching. In the autumn he noticed the buds were green, and the next spring they pushed into leaf, and arc now large and beautiful trees. The Norway spruce, the hemlock, and sometimes the white pine has the foliage destroyed on the ends of the branches, on the north and west sides, by cold, harsh, cutting winds; but they almost always renew them, and it is rare that we have found it necessary to clip back on that account.