EVERGREEN VEGETATION IN THE NORTH OP ENGLAND. 59 



was cold and stormy, whilst tlie effects of its bright sun very soon 

 revealed the extent to which evergreens of all kinds had suffered. 



The common broom (Spartium scoparium) hardly, perhaps, 

 properly merits the designation of evergreen, since its winter 

 verdure is not produced by foliage, but by its vivid and innu- 

 merable twigs, which to the eye produce an equally pleasing 

 appearance. This beautiful plant, which is nowhere more abund- 

 ant than in the border counties of England and Scotland, was 

 very extensively cut down. To the northward of the Lammer- 

 muirs, where the country slopes down to the Firth of Forth, and 

 enjoys the softening influence of the sea airs during winter, the 

 destruction had been less, and a considerable mixture of un- 

 injured plants was observable. In Tweedside, and all over 

 Northumberland, except in the most sheltered spots, or where it 

 had been completely buried under snow, the broom was killed to 

 the ground. It is clear, therefore, that with the ordinary north 

 British summer, we could not boast of our beautiful shaws and 

 knows of golden broom, were our winters more severe than they 

 are. 



The whin, Ulex europoeus, a tenderer plant than the last, and 

 more decidedly characteristic of an oceanic climate, was very 

 generally killed down all over the north of England and south 

 of Scotland. I observed it to have suffered almost as much even 

 in the milder climate of Argyleshire. But there it had been left 

 unprotected by any fall of snow, whilst a long and intense black 

 frost had prevailed, which during some weeks enabled persons to 

 skate upon the Crinan canal. Both the whin and broom have 

 shot forth vigorously from the root or lower part of the stem. 



"We now come to the finest native evergreen of the North of 

 England, the holly, in popular estimation regarded as so ex- 

 tremely hardy. But, in truth, it suffers more or less considerably 

 every severe winter, as may be perceived by the weaklier, 

 smaller, and scantier foliage which it always carries in the fol- 

 lowing year, and which bespeaks impaired vegetative powers. 

 On the other hand, after a succession of mild winters, the hollies 

 assume unwonted luxuriance of leaf and freedom of growth, as 

 if transported to a more benignant clime. 



