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xx Proceedings. 
party to five, who approached from the Riddlesdown side. In spite of 
occasional showers and wet feet, the ramble was enjoyable as well as 
interesting, and resulted in the observation of a number of our rarer 
flowers. This, indeed, is the nearest spot in Croydon for not a few, 
including the cowslip, henbane (Hyoscyamus niger), and round-headed 
rampion (Phytewma orbiculare). Most noteworthy perhaps was the 
size as well as abundance of the dropwort (Spirea filipendula), which 
literally whitened large areas with panicles as large as those of meadow- 
sweet (S. wlmaria). A specimen of Orobanche minor was picked up 
by a clover field in the hollow between Purley Beeches and Sander- 
stead Hill. Another was found by Miss Annie Hinde a week or 
two earlier on the side of the road just above Sanderstead Station. 
Appended is a list, by Dr. Parsons, of the chief plants:—Spirea 
jfilipendula (abundant and very fine), Rosa rubiginosa, Asperula 
cynanchica, Lactuca muralis, Tragopogon pratensis, Phytewma orbi- 
culare, Primula veris, Gentiana Amarella, Hyoscyamus niger, Ver- 
bascum Thapsus, Orobanche minor, Verbena officinalis, Juniperus 
communis (abundant), Bromus erectus, Brachypodiwm pinnatum. 
The following is a brief summary of the remarkable meteorological 
characters of the year 1903 as affecting vegetation. The year opened 
with genial though somewhat rainy and occasionally stormy weather, 
which lasted during the first three months. There was a week of 
frost in January, but it was of no great severity, 21° F. on the 14th 
being the lowest temperature reached; and there was a remarkable 
absence of snow and of cold east wind. The mean monthly tempera- 
ture at Greenwich was above the average by 2°:2 in January, by 5°°5 
in February, and by 4°°3 in March. In consequence of the mildness 
of the season the early spring flowers appeared much before the usual 
date. The annexed table, compiled from observations made by Dr. 
Parsons in his garden at Park Hill Rise, Croydon, shows that of 
twenty-seven species of early hardy flowering plants the date of 
flowering in 1903 was in all but two cases earlier than the mean date 
in the ten years 1893-1902, the average of the whole being eleven days 
earlier. The oak was seen in leaf on April 5th. In April, however, 
the weather became cold and wet, with cold winds and frequent night 
frosts; and with the exception of a week of hot weather at the end of 
June, it maintained its cold and wet character throughout the re- 
mainder of the year. The April frosts and a succession of cold N.E. 
winds which prevailed during May and the early part of June were 
very destructive to fruit-blossom, and except the later strawberries 
the fruit crop was an extremely bad one. Even the wild berries in the 
hedgerows were very scarce, with the exception of the hips of the dog 
rose, and of blackberries; the latter, however, did not ripen properly 
owing to the lack of sun and warmth in the autumn. 
The growth of grass in the meadows was very luxuriant, and those 
who were able to take advantage of the fine weather at the end of 
June secured a good harvest of hay, but where this was not done the 
hay lay long on the ground, and was much damaged by rain; indeed, in 
some places in the hilly parts of the kingdom it rotted on the ground, 
and was not worth harvesting. The corn crop was damaged by rust 
and storms, and the harvest was late and poor. The hop crop was 
also a bad one. The young foliage of rose-trees and other shrubs was 
much damaged by the frosts and cold winds in April, and the early 
