THE CLIMATE AND SPRING FROSTS. 559 



the lady fern and mountain fern have suffered most severely, some 

 having been utterly ruined, and others more or less disfigured. The 

 brake fern, male fern, broad fern, shield fern, hard fern, and hart's- 

 tongue, and some flowering ferns, have had some of the tops of their 

 fronds frosted, and are consequently damaged for the season. On 

 the contrary, the oak, beech, and limestone fern, the holly fern, the 

 marsh fern, the hay-scented fern, the parsley fern, and all the 

 aspleniums, have stood their ground. Amongst foreign ferns, young 

 fronds of Hypolepis rcpcns, and of Woodwardia radicans and orientalis, 

 have suffered ; but North American ferns have entirely escaped, and 

 the frail and delicate fronds of Adiantitm pedatum have not cared 

 for the vicissitudes between the 1st of March and the present time. 

 There is no outdoor vine on my premises, but in the neighbourhood 

 some had their young shoots utterly destroyed, some are par- 

 tially injured, and others have not suffered. The Chinese banana has 

 its leaves considerably frosted. I made a minute inspection on 

 Thursday evening, May 23, fearing mischief, but all was safe and 

 exhibited the glorious beauty of spring, but between this and Saturday 

 morning, May 25, this unprecedented damage was done. Gardeners 

 always dread May frosts. History and individual experience abound 

 in examples of damage, and therefore the present instance simply 

 stands out as one of intensity of degree and lateness of occurrence. 

 May frosts must be regarded as a phenomenon of nature unexplained 

 and philosophically unexplainable ; but nevertheless to be acknow- 

 ledged, feared, and practically dealt with. All we can say is, that 

 the frosty blast of May has passed over Europe this year with unusual 

 severity, and doubtless will be hereafter described as 'the great May 

 frost of 1867.' " 



Very few years pass by without May frosts on two or three nights, 

 and sometimes the oaks in full leaf have their young shoots abso- 

 lutely frozen and destroyed. Sometimes the days are hot when 

 these frosts occur, and it is lamentable to see how much damage is 

 done. This may be ascertained by a careful examination of the 



