3 
been too much is Pernettya mucronata, large groups of which 
have been cleared off. But Arbutuses seem to have enjoyed 
the conditions that have been fatal to so many of their allies. 
As one might expect, it has beena bad time for many conifers. 
Pines have got through very well although they could not be 
watered; and on the whole, although there are exceptions, our 
fine collection of cypresses, Thuyas and Taxineae have also got 
through very well. Of hemlocks (7'suga) and spruces—essen- 
tially wet country trees—many have died. Even Picea Omorica 
and P. orientalis, the two best spruces for the Thames Valley, 
have had their numbers sadly reduced. The firs (Abies), but 
ill-suited at Kew in the wettest years are of course more debili- 
tated even than usual. The past summer has shown more than 
ever how desirable is the foundation of a national pinetum in 
some more favoured spo 
Owing no doubt to he heat of the summer Prumnopitys 
elegans bore hundreds of its small plum-like fruits, and T’axodium 
distichum carries a good crop of cones. Neither of these, so far 
as we know, has borne fruit at Kew before, although the larger, 
older trees of Taxodium in the neighbouring Syon Park have 
done so. The production of a large number of pomegranates on 
a bush outside the south end of the Mexican House was an 
unprecedented event at Kew and aroused much popular interest. 
A good crop of fruit such as was to be seen on the Californian 
buckeye (Aesculus californica) is rare. But on the whole it has 
not been a good year for ornamental fruit bearers. The preco- 
cious growth and late frosts of spring destroyed much bloom 
and young fruit and the drought prevented the proper develop- 
ment of such as survived. The thorns were fairly good, but 
neither barberries, cotoneasters nor crabs have been up to the 
average. Amongst barberries the best have been the Wilsonae 
group from China which includes subcaulialata and Stapfiana. 
It was the same with the autumn colouring of the foliage. 
A fine summer is usually conducive to high colouring but this 
year the leaves of many trees seem to have been too desiccated 
for the necessary chemical changes to take place. Rhus cotinoides, 
usually one of the most beautiful and regular of autumn colouring 
trees at Kew, had its leaves shrivelled or fallen before the 
ordinary season of colour. 
It is often difficult to estimate the damage done to deciduous 
trees and shrubs. On some of the large beeches in the w 
the leaves have withered and remained on the branches—always 
a bad sign, but it has happened before and they have survived. 
We shall not be able to tell what the effects of 1921 have been 
on the woods at Kew till next year, but no doubt the end of 
many old trees there that were already failing will be hapeanes 
even if they survive for the present. Many birches, poplars and 
elms had become denuded of foliage in July and tulip trees lost 
their leaves early. This premature autumn and fall of leaf 
probably saved the lives of 1 many of these trees. ee 
