Of the Spring Months of the Year 1855. 31 



naturalization of certain plants in our climate, and the knowledge which 

 in a few years they would give us regarding the plants which might be 

 expected to survive such changes of temperature in pai'ticular districts. 

 Much ultimate disappointment, both to the buyer and seller of exotics, 

 would thus be avoided.* 



On the same subject, the following interesting particulars have been 

 kindly furnished by Mr. Clark of the Glasgow Botanic Garden : — 



" The following plants were destroyed in our garden by the severe 

 frost of the spring of 1855 : — 



" Thirty plants of Cupressus torulosus, which had stood out in the 

 open border for some years. This fine coniferous plant was introduced 

 from Nepal in 1824, and has always been considered hardy. 



" Cupressus funebris. This tree having been mtroduced from China in 

 1849, the stems had not attained the same degree of strength : though 

 destroyed in Glasgow, it has survived in several other places. 



" Prunus sinensis. 



" Pinus microphylla and P. montezuma. Neither of these had been 

 more than two years planted, and they were not sufiiciently established 

 to enable them to resist a degree of cold which they might have stood 

 otherwise ; microphylla has survived in many places. 



" Libocedrus chilensis, destroyed also in most places. It was intro- 

 duced from Cliili in 1849. 



" Many Portugal Laurels and Common Bays. In every instance whei'e 

 these were killed, they stood either under the shade of other tall trees, or 

 in low damp situations, where the young wood of the previous year had 

 not been sufficiently ripened, or exposed to the same amount of light 

 and air as those standing in open situations." 



" It was pleasing to observe," continues Mr. Clark, " that many 

 exotics, not considered hardy, survived this most trying season (1855). 

 Having been anxious to test the Rhododendrons of Dr. J, D. Hooker's 

 Himalayan collection, I had some of them, previously kept in a cold 

 frame, removed, before the winter set in, to an exposed situation. The 

 following stood out without any protection and survived: — R. cihatum 

 and ciliatum-rosea, R. campylocarpum, R. lepidotum, niveum, R. glau- 

 cum, R. Wallichii. Also, R. barbatum safe, planted out two years 

 previously. It is from northern India. In 1852 a plant of R. cinna- 

 momea, a magnificent variety, introduced from Ncpdl in 1820, was 

 planted out, having been previously kept in the usual way in a greeu- 

 house or conservatory, and sustained the frost uninjured. Ccdrus deo- 

 dara and Araucaria imbricata, quite safe, being in high dry situations. 



• Tlii.s paper has since been published, and will be found in The Proceedings of the 

 Hotan. Soc. of Edin.—Scot. Gardener, July, 1855. 



