239 
barberry to show ill effects was B. atrocarpa (the B. levis of 
gardens), but it has quite recovered. 
ome of the newer Rhododendrons of Yorrest’s introduction 
were killed, amongst them FR. bullatum and a few unnamed 
species, but on the whole the Chinese species came through 
remarkably well. Except that the flower buds of many were 
destroyed and some of the more sappy growths cut back, they 
were so little affected that by July the great majority presented 
anormal appearance. 
Much of the damage done to Ericaceae at Kew was caused 
by an exceedingly bitter north-east wind which swept across the 
place without intermission for about a week near the end of 
January. During this period of incessant wind the tempera- 
ture rose only once a single degree above freezing point. Prob- 
ably this black week did more harm than all the frosts, which 
can scarcely be regarded as of extraordinary severity. e 
lowest temperatures were recorded on Feb, 7, 8, and 9 when the 
minimum thermometer registered 22, 20, and 17 degrees of 
frost respectively. 
ne thing greatly in favour of hardy vegetation was the 
absence of the soft mild periods so characteristic of our winter 
Zapupe.—Zapupe fibre came into prominence a little more 
than a decade ago, when in 1907 there were over ,000,000 plants 
Mm various stages of growth in the State of Vera Cruz (see K.B. 
1907, p. 397). Except for the botanical identity all the important 
information has been given in previous issues of the Bulletin 
(see 1906, p. 190; 1907, pp. 896-400; 1908, p. 268). _ 
The three following cultivated species have been defined by 
Trelease, and good descriptions of the plants are given by 
Trelease and Berger :— 
Agave Zapupe, Trelease in Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis, xviii. 
- (1909), p. 32. +t. i. (spines), t. ii. (panicle and bulbils); Berger, 
_ Die Agaven (1915), p. 237. | 
