Effects of Winter 1881-82. 385 



in fact, we could scarcely say we had any winter, in the usual 

 acceptance of the term. This was fortunate for vegetation, which, 

 owing to the previous wet, cold, and sunless summer and autumn, 

 was in a very unmatured state, and in the worst possible condition 

 to withstand the rigours of a severe winter. 



The first nip of frost came immediately after the great storm of 

 the l4th of October, up to which date deciduous trees had retained 

 the foliage in an unusually green state. The gale had thus a better 

 hold of the trees, and the ground being soft from the previous heavy 

 rains, they were comparatively easy to upset, and many thousands 

 of them fell before the hurricane in its course over the country 

 In this district the gale lasted scarcely half an hour, but during that 

 time it did great damage to forest trees, somewhere about 300 having 

 been destroyed in Dalkeith Park, and vast numbers of others broken 

 and injured. On the morning of the loth, 30* Fahr. were regis- 

 tered, followed by 26' on the 16th, 29° on the 17th, and 31° on the 

 18th, This kiUed off all tender plants, — such as Dahlias, Tropteo- 

 lums, French Beans, and the like, — but had little apparent effect on 

 the leaves of most deciduous trees, which remained green till the 

 end of the month, when 28° on the 29th, 28° on the 30th, and 26° 

 on the 31st killed them, and brought them off. The rich colours 

 and brilliant tints which the foliage of many trees assume in the 

 autumn were almost wholly absent, the leaves generally remaining 

 green or greenish-brown tiU frost nipped them. The rainfall for the 

 month amounted to 1'50 inches. 



On the 1st Xovember the thermometer registered 28^, and also 

 28' on the 2nd, with open, mild weather till the 18th, when 2.5^ 

 were registered. Mild weather again prevailed till the 26th, when 

 the thermometer stood at 30°; at 30° on the 29th, and 31° on the 

 30th — making a total for the month of 20° of frost, registered on 

 6 days. Rainfall of the month, 2 inches. 



The month of December began mild, no frost being registered till 

 the 4th, when the thermometer stood at 27°, and on the 6th at 30°, 

 From the 9th to the 21th occurred the longest speU of frost during 

 the winter, the ice on still water being about 2 inches thick on the 

 23rd, but it was soon melted by the thaw which set in on the 24th, 

 and continued to the end of the year. The frost registered during 

 this period was as follows : — On the 9th the thermometer stood at 

 28° ; on the 10th at 22° — the severest night's frost of the winter ; 

 11th, 28°; 13th, 26°; 14th, 28°; 15th, 26°; 16th, 23° ; 18th, 30°; 

 19th, 31°; 20th, 26°; 21st, 28°; 22nd, 23°; 23rd, 23'; and 24th, 

 29°, Total frost during the month, 84°, on 16 days. Rainfall, 

 1"10 inches. 



January proved extremely mild, frost being registered on only 

 two days, and the mean temperature of the month reached the high 



