Mr Sadler's Report on Open- Air Vegetation. 251 



by the past ■winter is not nearly so great as in the previous one. 

 Generally speaking, trees and shrubs flowered abundantly, and made 

 good progress till the continuous cold and wet of the summer months 

 gave growth a check. Crops were late in being got into the ground, 

 but the soil was in splendid condition, after the long time it had 

 been subjected to the mellowing influence of the frost, and crops 

 came away Avith great vigour and made rapid progress while the 

 genial weather lasted. After June slow progress was made, aiid 

 although the crops taken all over were up to the average, they did 

 not reach the promise of the early summer. 



Frojn Mr. C. ^I'Taggart, The Gardens, Arniston, Mid-Lotliian. 



July 2, 1881. 



I may state it is onh' the hardier kinds of trees and shrubs that 

 are planted here. The Common Bay Laurel has suffered very much, 

 and will mostly have to be cut over, but all seem to be coming 

 freely from the stem. The fine old Portugal Laurels are badly dis- 

 figured, and I am afraid will never fill up again until cut over. 

 The Evergreen Oaks have also sufl"ered ; some of the young plants 

 entirely gone. Cupressus of sorts, ^Yellingtonia, Ehododendrons, &c., 

 do not seem to be anything the worse. 



Vegetables nearly all killed, Brussels Sprouts excepted. There 

 was no accurate record kept here of the temperatures of the last 

 winter. On three difterent occasions the thermometer was slightly 

 below zero, l^° at the most, more frequently we had from 27° to 

 30° of frost. 



From ]Mr Geo. Brown, T//e Gardt^ns, Tester, Haddingtonshire. 



June 16, 1881. 



The effects of the past winter on vegetation here have been very 

 serious. The winter has been the severest that the oldest inhabitant 

 can remember. This place is situated in Lat. 5.5 'ol" K Long. 2 •41° 

 AY., ten miles from the sea coast, and 400 feet above its level. 



The hardest nights we had here were on the 14th and loth 

 December, when the thermometer (in box) fell to 2° (or thirty 

 degrees of frost) on both nights. 



The hardiest shrubs, such as Laurels, Box, Hollies, and Yews, 

 were severely browned. 



The more tender ones, such as Garrya ellipitica, Aucuha japonica, 

 ViJ)urnnm Tmius, and about one-half of our Dwarf Eoses, were com- 

 pletely killed. 



Vegetables, such as Greens, Broccoli, and Savoys, were killed; 

 Celery stood well, even without any protection ; of Leeks and 



