--- —<————S— 
263 
combination in the year of three months extreme cold, three 
months drought, a remarkable wave of great heat at the end of 
September, and of extreme cold at the beginning of October. 
It was shown by many examples that in spite of the extreme 
cold gardens had suffered far less than could have been 
expected ; that many things such as palms and bamboos had 
been quite uninjured, and that many half hardy plants, especially 
those from New Zealand and South America, had been much Jess 
injured than in former years, when the cold has been much less 
severe. The escape from more injury was attributed to the 
absence of high winds, the continuance of the frost without 
alternations of thaw, and that the frost did not commence until 
the plants were mostly in their winter rest. Many curious 
instances were mentioned of plants being killed in one position 
and being quite intact in another, so that it was difficult to say 
whether the species should be ranked as hardy or tender. Proof 
was brought that one great secret of preserving plants in extreme 
cold is to take every possible precaution to preserve warmth in 
the roots. But the year had shown a great abundance of flowers 
and fruits, and it did not appear that animal life had suffered 
much from the great cold, The great lack of the year was the 
complete absence in many plants of Autumnal tints, the leaves 
having fallen quite green, owing to the frosts and gales of 
October, and in connection with this an account was given, 
chiefly drawn from American observers, of the causes of the 
Autumnal tints and their dependence on the weather of each 
year. 
A varied discussion followed the President’s paper, on the 
various observations made in different parts of the country and 
abroad on the destruction of plant and animal life through the 
hard frost, particularly on the extraordinary damage wrought on 
the gorse throughout England and Wales. 
At the proposal of the Rev. H. H. Winwoop, vice-President, 
a hearty vote of thanks was returned to Canon Ellacombe for his. 
