634< Effects of the Winter of 1 837-8 



— Amongst the American plants, I have some of the Illicium 

 floridum : one, 5 ft. high, diameter of the branches 9 ft., which 

 stood without any protection. I beUeve it to be hardier than the 

 common hiurel. — Sweet bay, arbutuses, aucubas, hiurustinuses, 

 common laurels, and Chinese privet have not suffered. — Catalpa 

 si/rmgce^oWa. has been much injured on the top of the trees: and 

 a very vigorous-growing plant of Cedrus Deoddra, 9 ft. in height, 

 was killed ; though another, but 200 yards from it, was not in- 

 jured at all. — Virgilitt lutea. 26 ft. high, a fine specimen, was 

 not at all hurt. — Rhododendron arboreum. Killed, after stand- 

 ing out for six or seven winters. — Roses have suffered very 

 much ; such as Lamarck, Banksian, &c. — A plant of Trichi- 

 lia caerulea stood very well ; and a few varieties of Canna in- 

 dica, with a litde tan thrown over them, also stood well. — There 

 is a plant of Pav/a macrostachya, only 6 ft. 6 in. in height, and 

 the head 1 I ft. in diameter, that we counted 390 flower-spikes 

 upon about four weeks since. This is a plant which I think 

 well deserving a place in every collection. 

 Highlands, Sept. 14. 1838. 



Art. VIII. Effects of the Cold of the Winter o/" 1837-8 on the Trees 

 and Shrubs in the open Air in the Botanic Garden, Berlin. By 

 Frederic Otto. From the " Garten Zeitung" of May 5- 1838. 



Most of the old cultivators agree that we have not had so 

 severe and continued awinter as the last, for a great many years ; 

 nor, at the same time, one which has had so bad an effect on 

 plants in the open air. It cannot be denied, that, of late yeai's, 

 gardeners have become somewhat bold in cultivating plants but 

 newly introduced, and which could not stand a great degree of 

 cold in their native country, without a sufficient protection and 

 covering. Small shrubs may be protected in many ways, but it 

 is often found impossible to protect trees and shrubs which have 

 attained a considerable size. Much depends on the situation, 

 exposure, and soil ; which has been proved this winter, by many 

 small shrubs not suffering the least from the frost, though pro- 

 tected only by a slight covering ; such as, for example, all the 

 species of Yucca, the Nepal mahonias, Epigse^a, Mitchells, &c. 



The reason that so many trees and shrubs have died here, 

 certainly appears to be the variableness of the weather. The 

 branches were moistened by the continued fog, and became 

 covered with ice like glass ; and, when severe cold came on at 

 repeated intervals, they were completely frozen. When the 

 cold set in, the ground was not covered with snow, and the 

 frost penetrated IS in. in the ground ; consequently, it was to be 



