1072 



Hardiness of certain Conifer es. 



A paper by Mr. W. W. Evans, intituled ' Remarks on the Hardi- 

 ness of certain Coniferae, as shown by the effects of the past winter,' 

 was read. 



The author, after making some introductory observations, observed : 

 — " Among the junipers mentioned as 'killed' in Messrs. Lawsons' 

 nursery, are Juniperus Berraudiana, J. flaccida, J. Mexicana, and J. 

 Sophora ; and on referring to page 261 of the ' Gardener's Chronicle,' 

 1 find that J. Bermudiana, J. Bedfordiana, and J. religiosa are reported 

 as ' killed ' in Wiltshire. The only one of these tried in the Experi- 

 mental Garden was J. religiosa, which was very much injured, espe- 

 cially on the side next the north-east, although partially protected 

 with spruce branches. Again, in Mr. Robertson's list, Cupressus 

 macrocarpa and C. funebris are stated to be ' healthy and fresh;' 

 while C. Goveniana and C. thurifera are reported as ' completely 

 killed down to the roots.' On the other hand, at Boynton, near 

 Bridlington, on the east coast of Yorkshire, and at Nostell Priory, 

 near Wakefield, C. macrocarpa is stated to be ' very much injured by 

 the frost;' while C. funebris ' seems perfectly hardy,' 'not having 

 been injured in situations where the others mentioned have been." 

 In the Horticultural Society's Garden, a plant of C. macrocarpa, four 

 feet high, remained perfectly green and uninjured ; but a smaller 

 plant of C. funebris, nearly in the same situation, had to be removed 

 in the spring, the whole of the north side being killed ; this plant was 

 also slightly protected by branches. C. Goveniana, in the same loca- 

 lity, but unprotected, was killed to the ground, as was C. Udheana. C. 

 thurifera was not tried. It appears that C. Goveniana was uninjured 

 at Chiswick, although much hurt at Kew. It is stated to have been 

 killed at Dublin, and totally uninjured in Cambridgeshire. It was 

 completely killed in Messrs. Lawsons' nursery, as before mentioned ; 

 while in Messrs. Dickson & Son's nursery, on the opposite side of the 

 road, and within a few hundred yards, a fine plant escaped unhurt. 

 From the foregoing examples, it appears to me that something 

 more than a mere list of the ' killed and wounded ' is required, before 

 we can come to anything like a correct opinion as to the hardiness of 

 newly introduced plants; and that it is of the utmost importance that 

 all such lists should be accompanied by meteorological observations, 

 the distance from, and height above, the sea, exposure, size of plants 

 reported on, and how long ))lanted ; and observers, in all parts of the 



