154 Keport on Temperatures and Open-Air Vegetation. 



trees and shrubs. Autumn tints began to appear on sugar 

 maple and Pavia Jiava, which at the close of the month 

 were very beautiful. 



Thirty species of plants came into flower on the Eock 

 Garden, making for the season 968. These included 

 Gladiolus Saundersii, Knipliojia Uvaria, Rudbeckia pur- 

 purea^ Aster longifoUus, Crocus sp)eciosus, G. medms, and 

 C, vitellinus. 



October. — October was remarkable for the fine, dry, 

 almost summer-like weather which prevailed throughout 

 the entire month ; frost occurred only once, viz,, on the 

 22nd, when 3° were registered. In consequence of the 

 mildness, deciduous trees parted with their foliage most 

 reluctantly ; many, which in October are usually stripped 

 bare of their leaves, were still covered with foliage. The 

 most beautiful were Acer saccliarinum, A. rubrum, A. 

 rnonspcssulanum, A. Lobbii, and the varieties tif A. pseudo- 

 platanus; Quercus rubra, Q. coccinea, and Q. conferta; 

 Pyrus Aria and P. vestita; Salisburia, Beech, Thorns, 

 and Tulip tree ; Ampelopsis, Azaleas, Cornus, Mahonias, 

 and Weigelas, &c. Among herbaceous plants Saxifraga 

 p)urpurascens and Funkia Sieboldi were most striking. A 

 few evergreens also showed rich colouring, and contrasted 

 favourably with the more beautiful, but shorter lived, 

 deciduous coloured leaves ; amongst such may be men- 

 tioned Cryptomeria elegans, Thuia elegantissima and aurea, 

 Golden and Silver Hollies, and the various Japanese 

 Eetinosporas. The season, though favourable for the 

 development of foliage, was apparently most unfavourable 

 in developing flower-buds for next year. Rhododendrons, 

 Azaleas, and other " American " plants, which are usually 

 lifted about the end of the month for forcing purposes, 

 were deficient in flower-buds. Yew, Holly, and Coton- 

 easter had a fair crop of well-coloured berries. The 

 lowest temperatures occurred on the 2ud, 32°; 12th, 34°; 

 22nd, 29°; 23rd, 35°; 30th, 35°; while the highest morning 

 readings were on the 4th, 50°; 7th, 52°; 8th, 52°; 9th, 

 60°; and 14th, 51°. On the rock garden thirteen species 

 of plants came into bloom, making a total for the season 

 of no less than 981, being the largest number yet recorded 

 as having flowered in one season, and 107 more than 



