80 THE EFFECTS OF THE SEVERE FROST OF THE 



and shrubs, which will not survive even in other parts of Scot- 

 land. From Arran the Eev. D. Landesborough reports that 

 little injury was sustained there. Many of the Australian 

 palms and New Zealand tree ferns and blue gums being unin- 

 jured. The situation is very well sheltered and very mild. 

 The lowest registers of the thermometer were on December 1st 

 and 3rd, ISTQ.-rSr; January 12th and 21st, 1880 = 31°; 

 February 26thr=r36°, and March 27th = 35°, being thus in the 

 minimum temperature of winter from 12° to 14° above that of 

 Glasgow. As an instance of the immunity enjoyed by this 

 district, we may state that in March 1880, a fine plant of the 

 old single red camellia was untouched, and was then in full 

 ilower with twenty-five beautiful blooms in perfect condition. 

 A cork tree {Quercus siiber) and a specimen of Cunningliamia 

 sinensis, which have both grown at Brodick Castle for twenty 

 years, are quite uninjured by the frost of the winter of 1879-80. 

 While we have thus endeavoured to sketch the effects of this 

 severe winter upon trees and shrubs, and have shown that its 

 ravages have not been so widespread over Scotland generally 

 as those of the winter of 1860-61, although in those places to 

 which last year's destruction has been more immedipttely con- 

 fined, the results have been equally if not more disastrous in 

 many particulars, it would not be proper to omit a passing 

 notice of the severity of the season over a far wader area than 

 •that of Scotland only, for we find that in many j^arts of England 

 and over the Continent of Europe, especially the eastern and 

 south-eastern countries, much destruction to plant life was 

 sustained from the unwontedly severe and protracted winter, 

 similar in intensity and in its effects on trees and shrubs to 

 what has been recorded in this report. The severity ajjpears to 

 have set in simultaneously at all points about the 2nd December, 

 when from Hamburg it was reported : "Very severe frost — river 

 full of heavy drift ice." From Antwerp, December 3rd: "Severe 

 frost set in yesterday. Thermometer fell to 12° below freezing- 

 point. Navigation to Brussels closed." Bremen, December 2nd : 

 " Temperature to-day 7° Pteaumur. Ptiver navigation closed." 

 Hamburg, December 4th: "Temperature 17° below freezing-point. 

 Wind cold, and off east. Fog." Haarlingen, December 3rd : 

 *' Severe snow squalls." Paris, December 4th: "Snow falling 

 all over the country. No business was done to-day on the 

 Boulevards in consequence of the heavy fall of snow. Eailway 

 traffic partially suspended, and telegraphic communication has 

 been rendered defective from same cause." The damage done 

 by the severe frosts of December 1879 and January 1880 to the 

 •trees, shrubs, and plants, in the parks and public gardens of the 

 municipality of Paris, is estimated at something like £40,000. 

 In the Champs Elysees alone more than 10,000 trees and shrubs 



