LETTER LXI 



TO THE SAME 



SINCE the weather of a district is undoubtedly part of 

 it's natural history, I shall make no further apology for the 

 four following letters, which will contain many particulars 

 concerning some of the great frosts, and a few respecting 

 some very hot summers, that have distinguished themselves 

 from the rest during the course of my observations. 



As the frost in January 1768 was, for the small time it 

 lasted, the most severe that we had then known for many 

 years, and was remarkably injurious to ever-greens, some 

 account of it's rigour, and reason of it's ravages, may be 

 useful, and not unacceptable to persons that delight in 

 planting and ornamenting ; and may particularly become 

 a work that professes never to lose sight of utility. 



For the last two or three days of the former year there 

 were considerable falls of snow, which lay deep and uniform 

 on the ground without any drifting, wrapping up the more 

 humble vegetation in perfect security. From the first day 

 to the fifth of the new year more snow succeeded ; but 

 from that day the air became entirely clear, and the heat 

 of the sun about noon had a considerable influence in 

 sheltered situations. 



It was in such an aspect that the snow on the author's 

 ever-greens was melted every day, and frozen intensely 

 every night; so that the laurustines, bays, laurels, and 

 arbutuses looked, in three or four days, as if they had been 

 burnt in the fire ; while a neighbour's plantation of the 

 same kind, in a high cold situation, where the snow was 

 never melted at all, remained uninjured. 



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