WINTER 1879-SO UPON TREES AND SHRUBS. 77 



species of trees and shrubs from a few of the most reliable returns 

 obtained from various localities and altitudes. 



From Thirlstane Castle, near Lauder, Berwickshire, common 

 and Portugal laurels are reported as killed to the ground, also 

 roses of sorts in every jjosition, clematis, green and variegated 

 hollies, Escallonia macranth/t, Periiettya mucronata, Acer negundo- 

 variegata, Abies menziesii, A. polita, Lihocedrus decurrens, Cednos 

 deodara, Cotojieaster shmnondsii and micrapkylla. The follow- 

 ing have suffered severely, but are not killed outright : — Ehodo- 

 dendroDS, Wellingtonia gigantea, tree box, yews, ivy, privet, 

 lilac, Spircea, Viburnum, Berberis, and hazel. Old timber 

 trees are showing very scanty foliage this season. Young wood 

 of all wall-fruit trees is quite destroyed. Standard apples and 

 pears, in many cases, are dead. 



From Yester, Haddingtonshire, Mr. Shearer reports that the 

 winter has not proved so very disastrous amongst laurels and 

 evergreens under his care as it has done at many neighbouring 

 places at lower elevations. Old lauristinus plants of some con- 

 siderable size, and Aucuba japonica are severely injured. 

 Dwarf-roses are killed to the ground, and standards very much 

 injured. He attributes his losses more to the cold and wet 

 summer previous to the sharp winter, than to the amount of 

 frost. This is further proved by the weakly condition this 

 year of many of the common sorts of garden vegetables, such as 

 asparagus, which is producing very weak and slender stems, and 

 globe artichokes were nearly all killed, and it will require some 

 hot and dry summers to bring vegetation back to its normal 

 condition, in almost all varieties of cultivated plants, trees, and 

 shrubs. 



]\Ir. A. M'Intosh, the experienced and observant gardener at 

 Paxton House, Berwickshire, reported in May last, that the 

 effects of the previous winter upon all plant life was only then 

 becoming day by day more visible. Portugal and common 

 laurels, yews, lauristinus, Aiiciiba japtonica, Cedrns deodanr, 

 Andromeda procurva, Salisbiiria adiantifolia, Cryptovicria japo- 

 nica^ C. elegans, Cytifnis, Jasniinum, Clemcdis, Cotoneaster, Garrya 

 eliptica, are wholly killed. Many wall fruit trees have also 

 perished. Pthododendrons very much damaged, and in some 

 places killed entirely. Fruit standards severely injured, and 

 roses killed. 



In the Kelso districts where, it has been already stated, the 

 injury was everywhere very severe, we learn from Mr. Boyd, 

 Ormiston House, that more damage has been sustained there 

 last winter than has been experienced within the memory of 

 any one living. During the night of "Wednesday and Thursday 

 morning, .'3rd and 4th December, 50° of frost, or 18° ])elow zero, 

 were registered. The thermometer was about two feet above 



