1781 FROST ON BUEIED TREES 79 



and nectarines, trained trees, that are to bear next year: they 

 have fine regular heads, but are very dear ! 



In a note to my account of Wolmer-forest* I have men- 

 tioned that some old people have assured me, that of a 

 winter's morning they have discovered sunk trees in the 

 bog by the hoar-frost that lay longer over the space where 

 they were concealed, than on the surrounding morass. Nor 

 does this seem to be a fanciful notion ; but conformable to 

 true philosophy. For D^ Hales says, " that snow lies longest, 

 as he has often observed, over drains, elm-pipes, &c. : because 

 these intervening, detached substances, interrupt the warm 

 vapor from the earth, and impede the thawing." See Hales's 

 ' Hsemastatics,' p. 360. Hence I make the following quaere. 

 Might not observations of this nature be extended to 

 domestic uses by the discovery of old obliterated dreins and 

 wells about houses ; and in Roman stations, and camps, lead 

 to the finding of pavements, baths, f graves, and other hidden 

 relicks of curious antiquity? Pray continue your com- 

 munications, and particularly respecting the quaere. 



Y"^ loving unkle, 



Gil. White. 



To Miss White. 



Selborne, Dec. 31, 1781. 



Dear Molly, — The girl has finished only one pair of 

 stockings, which I send ; another pair is almost completed ; 

 when she has done what she is about, I will order more 

 worsted. As soon as you know, pray send me the price 

 of the salt fish. 



Many thanks for your last letter. We should be glad of 

 more hints, quotations, and anecdotes. 



* Letter VI. to Pennant, 'The Natural History of Selborne.' 

 t Until well into the nineteenth century the remains of rooms of Roman 

 houses in this country, which frequently contain hypocausts, were called 

 " baths," since in the milder climate of Italy hypocausts rarely appear 

 except as the foundations of baths. Hence the mistake. 



