542 Remarks upon the Winter of 1829-30, 
which fell during the following month, it had the effect of 
thoroughly drying the country of its superabundant moisture, 
and thereby adapting the soil for the important purpose of 
sowing. 
From the circumstance of the ground being more or less 
covered with snow thr oughout the whole period (though, ex- 
cept where drifted, it was never more than a few inches in 
depth), the long and severe frost did not appear to have 
caused any eecental injury to vegetation. The evergreens, 
however, in some situations, were an exception, and more 
especially the bays, laurustines, and laurels, many young 
plants of which were at once killed to the ground, whilst 
others were so injured as to give little hope of their final re- 
covery. It is worth noticing, with respect to the laurels in 
particular, since it confirms an observation by Mr. White, in 
his Natur a History of Selborne*, that those only suffered to 
any extent which had been planted in southern aspects ; and 
this was so remarkably the case, that, in one or two instances 
in. which they grew on the north Bae of the border, but had 
overtopped the other shrubs, the uppermost branches, which 
from this circumstance were occasionally exposed to the full 
action of the sun, turned of a dead yellow, whilst the rest of 
the plant remained green. Doubtless, as Mr. White observes, 
this is owing to the repeated melting and freezing of the snow 
upon the surface of their leaves, to which the plants are, 
under such circumstances more than any other, necessarily 
subjected. 
It is also remarkable that the hard winter had not the effect 
of even retarding vegetation to any thing like the extent which 
might have been looked for. Of course, all those plants which, 
in ordinary seasons, put forth their flowers during the miGdths 
of December and Januar y, or in the early part of February, 
such as the winter aconite (Eranthis hiemalis), snowdrop 
(Galanthus nivalis), hepatica (Hepatica triloba), furze (UW lex 
europea), hazel (Corylus <Avellana), stinking hellebore 
(Helléborus foe tidus), spurge hazel (Daphne Lauréola), and 
many others, will, in such a season as that we have lately 
experienced, remain in a nearly torpid state so long as the 
frost and snow continue. But it was curious to obser ve how 
soon these plants were in flower immediately after the first 
breaking up of the hard weather ; whilst in the case of other 
species, “which naturally do not blow till March or towards 
the end of February, scarcely any difference in the time of 
flowering was remarked. The same may also be said with 
* See his 6lst and 62d Letters to the Hon. Daines Barrington. 
