226 Mr John Sadler on a Curious Form of Kohl Eabi, 



frequently " forced." In these times of agricultural depression 

 it is worthy of a trial on light soil, where in some seasons it 

 is diflicult to rear turnip, although I doubt if ever Kohl Rabi 

 will supersede turnip for nourishing qualities. The best sorts 

 of Kohl Rabi are the early white and early purple Vienna. 



JSfotc.—'^'hc, Society is indebted to tlie proprietors of the Gardeners' Clironicle 

 for the plate, and to Prof. Dickson for the photograph from which it is taken. 



T. Re'port on Temperatures and Open-Air Vegetation at the 

 Royal Botanic Garden, Edinhimjh, from August 1880 

 till July 1881. II. Record of some of the Plants Killed 

 or Injured hy Frost during the Winter of 1880-81, at 

 the Royal Botanic Garden. III. Table of Register of 

 Spring Plants showing dates of Flovmring in 1880-81, 

 at the Royal Botanic Garden. IV. Extracts from 

 Correspondents as to the Effects of the Winter of 1880-81 

 in different parts of Scotland. By John Sadler, 

 F.K.Ph.S., Curator of the Eoyal Botanic Garden. 



In my reports for 1878-79 and 1879-80, I stated that these 

 winters were the most protracted and severe that we had experienced 

 for many years. That of 1880-81, however, has proved to be the 

 longest and severest winter that we have experienced since that of 

 1860-61. The axitumn of 1880 was very favourable for the matur- 

 ing of the year's growth of trees, shrubs, and plants generally, which 

 enabled them to withstand the rigours of the season. The winter 

 set in about the middle of October, and lasted almost without a 

 break until the middle of March 1881. The lowest temperature at 

 the Garden occurred in the middle of January, when the thermo- 

 meter fell to 0° on the 17th. Much lower temperatures, however, 

 were registered in several parts of Scotland, especially in the south. 

 At Blackadder, in Berwickshire, the thermometer feU on the 17th 

 January to 22° below zero, and on the 23rd to 24°. (See corre- 

 spondence.) 



I. — Temperatures. 

 August 1880. — During the month the lowest temperatures were 

 on the 2nd, 45°; 3rd, 47° ; 7th, 45°; 21st, 43°; 22nd 47°. The 

 highest day temperatures in the shade were on the 8th, 74°: 

 10th, 73°; 11th, 88°; 13th, 76°. The weather during the month was 

 remarkably dry, calm, and bright, and accordingly was most favour- 

 able for the maturing and ripening of fruits and seeds, as well 

 as of the young wood of the past summer's growth. The winds 

 were mostly from an easterly direction, but then force was so light 



