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



corresponding month last year, which was also below the 

 average for March. The lowest readings of the thermometer 

 occurred on the 6th, 22°; 7th, 14°; 8th, 22°; 9th, 20°; 

 10th, 20°. The highest morning readings were on the 

 22nd, 46°; 23rd, 62°; 24th, 48°; 25th, 55°; 26th, 48°. 

 The lowest day temperature was 34°, which occurred on the 

 2nd, and the highest 64°, on the 23rd. Fine mild weather 

 set in on the 18th, which continued till the 30th, during 

 which time vegetation made rapid progress. The various 

 species of Scilla, Crocus, Iris, and other spring flowers 

 burst suddenly into bloom, and were extremely fine and 

 well coloured, although of short duration. Deciduous trees 

 and shrubs are very late in developing their leaves, many of 

 them being nearly a month late. Bibes sanguineum, which 

 usually has flowers expanded early in February, is not yet 

 in flower. The effects of the severe winter are now 

 becoming more apparent on many plants. Yews, Portugal 

 and Bay Laurels, particularly old plants in exposed situa- 

 tions, have a scorched and blighted appearance. Several 

 half-hardy plants, v/hich have stood out of doors unprotected 

 during the last two winters, are destroyed, amongst which 

 are Eucalyptus globulus and species of Cistus and Ceanothus ; 

 but on the whole most plants have come through a most 

 trying season with comparatively little injury. On the 

 Rock Garden forty-seven species and varieties came into 

 flower during March, being about half tlie number which 

 come into flower in ordinary seasons for that month. 

 Among the finest flowered were — Chionodoxa Lucilm and 

 C. sardensis, Corydalis angustifoUa, Crocus Olivieri^ 

 Daphne Mezereum, Erica hei^bacea, Narcissus pumilus, 

 Priiaula denticidata and P. marginata, Saxifraga opj^ositi' 

 folia and vars., S. Burseriana and its yellow variety Boydi. 

 Of the forty spring flowering plants, whose dates of 

 flowering are annually recorded to the Society, fifteen came 

 into flower during the month, viz. : — 



Arabis albida, March 4. 

 Crocus vermis, March 17. 

 Daphne Mezereum, March 23. 

 Erythroniuni dens-canis, March 26. 

 Iris reticulata, March 20. 

 Narcissus pumilus, March 25. 



Nordmannia cordif olia, March 20. 

 Orobus vernus, March 28. 

 Rhododendron atrovirens, 



March 23. 

 Scilla bifolia, March 19. 



,, „ alba, March 21. 



