1887-88.] Mr Lindsay's Report on Open-Air Vegetation. 337 



On the Eock Garden twenty-nine plants came into flower 

 during the month, as against forty-five during February 

 1887. The finest in blossom were: — Muscari lingulatum, 

 Iris histrio, I. reticulata, Leucoium carpaticum, Galanthus 

 Mwesii, G. plicatus, and G. Bedoutei, Chionodoxa sardensis, 

 Colchicum crocifioruiii, Crocus Imperati, C. annulatus, and C. 

 Sieheri, Erica hcrhacca and E. hcrhacea alha, Hepatica triloha, 

 sinole and double varieties. 



March. — This month was wintry in the extreme. Vegeta- 

 tion has made scarcely any progress. Outdoor work was 

 seriously interrupted, much more so than during any month 

 this winter. The thermometer was at or below the freezing 

 point on twenty-three mornings, indicating 131° of frost 

 collectively, as against 100° registered on eighteen mornings 

 during the corresponding month last year. The lowest 

 readings occurred on the 5th, 22°; l7th, 21°; 21st, 22°; 26th, 

 22°; 28th, 20°. The day temperature varied very much. On 

 the 8th the thermometer reached 59°, while on the 15th it did 

 not exceed 30°. On the Rock Garden sixty-four species came 

 into bloom during ]\Iarch. Of the forty spring flowering 

 plants, whose dates of flowering are annually recorded to 

 the Society, the following eleven came into flower, viz. : — 

 8isyrinchium grandijlorum, Scilla hifolia alba, Mandragora 

 officincdis, and ScUla hifolia taurica, on March 8 ; Sisgrin- 

 chium grandijlorum alhwm, ]\Iai'ch 13 ; Narcissus pumilus, 

 March 17; Scilla hifolia, March 19; Omplialodes verna, 

 March 23 ; Draha aizoides, March 30 ; Orohus vernus and 

 Erythroiiium Dens-canis, March 31. 



April. — Vegetation made very slow progress throughout 

 the month, frequent sharp frosts and cold easterly winds 

 having prevented any rapid growth from taking place. 

 Many deciduous trees and shrubs were still in their winter 

 condition at the end of the month. Hardy herbaceous 

 plants are also behind their usual time of flowering. No 

 appreciable injury has been observed from these late spring 



