1886-87.] Mr Lindsay's Report on Open-Air Vegetation. 125 



in the Roch Garden during the past year amounts to 1165. This 

 is considerably below the number cultivated in the garden, 

 as many of the rarer species fail to flower every year, but it 

 gives a good idea of the large number of alpine plants which 

 may be successfully grown in this country. A record has 

 been kept showing the date when each plant was first 

 observed in flower. The largest numbers flowered during 

 June and Jidy, viz., 300 and 281 respectively. 



January 1887. — The weather was upon the whole 

 favourable. Frost was registered on seventeen mornings, 

 indicating collectively 91° for the month, as against 158° for 

 the corresponding month last year. The lowest readings of 

 the thermometer occurred on the 5th, 23°; 6th, 23°; 11th, 

 22°; 15th, 19°; I7th, 18°. The highest morning readings 

 were, on the 19th, 48°; 26th, 47°; 27th, 49°; 29th, 46°; 

 30th, 47°. The lowest day temperature was 31°, which 

 occurred on the 5th, and the highest 53°, on the 27th 

 of the month. Comparatively mild spring-like weather 

 ensued from the I7th till the end of the month, which 

 has brought forward the leaf-buds of many shrubs, par- 

 ticularly Flowering Currant, Eoses, Honeysuckles, Lilacs, 

 &c. Several herbaceous plants have started into growth. 

 So far very little injury has been done to vegetation this 

 winter. Of the forty selected plants, whose dates of 

 flowering are annually recorded to the Society, five came 

 into flower during January, viz.: — Dondia Epipactis, on the 

 13th; Tussilago fragrans, on the 19th; Corylus Avellana, on 

 the 26th; Galanthus nivalis, on the 27th; and Galanthus 

 plieatus on the 31st. None of these had opened by the end 

 of January last year. On the Eock Garden nineteen species 

 came into flower, amongst which were Geum aureum, 

 Hepatica triloba and angulosa, Primula acaulis, veris, Atdjrietia 

 deltoidea, Crocus Imperati and suaveolcns, Erica hcrhacea alba, 

 and three species of Hdlehorus. 



February. — The month was generally mild and dry; 

 bright sunshine was frequent, causing numerous spring 

 plants to expand their flower-buds earlier than usual. The 

 weather experienced during the motith was in marked 

 contrast to that of February 1886, which was extremely 

 wintry, with much snow, and uninterrupted low temperatures. 

 During last month no snow fell. Eain fell, more or less, on 



