Mr Lindsay's Report on Open-Air Vegetation. 409 



the Si-d, 22°; 4th, 20°; 5th, 16°; 2oth, 23°; 27th, 22°. 

 The highest morning readings were on the 8th, 36°; 9th, 

 40°; 10th, 38°; 12th, 34°; 13th, 39°. The lowest day 

 temperature was 30°, which occurred on the 3rd ; and the 

 highest 50°, on the 13th of the month. 



Not much direct injury has been done to vegetation by 

 frost, notwithstanding the large amount experienced. This 

 result is due, in great measure, to the almost dormant con- 

 dition in which most outdoor plants still remain, and also 

 to the absence of extremely low readings, 16° being the 

 lowest marking for February. Of the forty spring flowering 

 plants, whose dates of flowering are annually recorded, the 

 following ten came into flower, but they cannot by any 

 means be said to have reached perfection, viz. : Tussilago 

 fragrans, on February 6 ; Galanthus nivalis, on February 



9 ; G, jMcatus, on February 9 ; Tussilago alba, on February 



10 ; Coryhis Avellana, on February 10 ; Eranthis hyemalis^ 

 on February 10 ; Crocus susianus, on February 12 ; Scilla 

 prcecox, on February 13 ; Lnicoium vernuin, on February 

 17 ; Scilla sibirica, on February 17. On the Kock Garden 

 twenty plants came into flower, amongst which were the 

 following : — Colchicum crocijlorum,^ Crocus Sieberi, C. annu- 

 latus, Galanthus Elioesii, Primula vulgaris and varieties, P. 

 veris do., Pihododendron pra:cox^ Saxifraga Burseriana. 



Since March began there has been no improvement 

 in the character of the weather, but the reverse. Besides 

 snowstorms of unusual severity, there has been hard frost 

 every morning without intermission. On the morning 

 of the 7th the glass fell to 13°, or 19° of frost, which is the 

 lowest reo'ister at the g-arden for the month of March since 

 1879, when 3° lower were registered on March 14 of that 

 year. The total amount for the whole month at that time 

 was 60° of frost, while during the last eleven days 89° of 

 frost has been registered. 



Outdoor work is far behind, but good progress will be 

 made whenever a thaw comes on, as the ground is sure to 

 be in fine working condition, owing to the mellowing influ- 

 ence of so much frost on the soil. 



3Iarch. — This month will long be remembered as one of 

 the coldest on record. Frost was registered on twenty-one 

 occasions, indicating collectively 134°, as against 82° for the 



