73 
January and early February, and the mean temperature for the 
whole winter has been from 3°-6° lower than the normal, the 
length of the winter season was about 17 days less than usual. 
After the winter “broke up,” about the middle of February, there 
were several cold periods interspersed with destructive thaws and 
high winds. 
Of the fourteen hundred shrubs planted in the Garden during 
October and November, 1911, less than thirty have died outright. 
Curiously enough, two of these were the perfectly hardy and 
native arborvitae, and one the American yew (Taxus canaden- 
sis). Several hundred of the shrubs were killed back, some for 
half their length from the tip, others down to the crown. Of 
our native plants the sweet pepper-bush (Clethra alnifolia), 
Virginia willow (/tea virginica), sheep laurel (Kalma angusti- 
folia), were all killed back practically to the snow line, which 
this winter was very low. 
Of the twenty plants of Vitex Agnus-castus all are killed back 
practically to the ground, but all seem to be alive and sending 
out shoots from the base. The silvery leaves of Salix regalis are 
also coming out only below the snow line. Most plants of the rose 
and hydrangea families are all in good condition, such as Phila- 
delphus, Spirea, Rhodotypus, Deutzia, and many others. 
Plants that were put in with some misgiving, such as /lex 
crenata and Abelia chinensis, are coming through very well, the 
former only getting a temporary setback and the latter being in 
excellent condition. 
In the spring of 1911 seventeen small seedlings and two 
young saplings of the giant redwood (Sequoia Washingtoniana) 
were set out in the nursery. These trees all did well, and on the 
approach of winter one of the saplings was transferred to a cold 
frame, and half of the seedlings were entirely covered with a 
banking of leaves. In early April, 1912, the unprotected trees 
were to all appearances dead, but to our surprise, though the 
foliage of 1911 was entirely winter killed, are all putting forth an 
abundance of new shoots from last season’s buds and give every 
promise of becoming established. 
It seems very probable that these and other evergreen trees 
suffered last winter not so much from cold as from a condition 
a) 
