114 



NOTES ON THE EFFECTS OF A DRY SUMMER, ON TREES. 

 Bt J.D. BNY8, F.G.S.. Vice-Pres. aud Bx-Pres. R.I.O. 



A short time since I sent a paper to the Penzance Natural 

 History Society on the above subject, and now repeat what I then 

 wrote, with some additions. 



The dry summer of 1893 had a damaging effect, as far as 

 my observations went, on Holly-trees throughout Devon, Dorset, 

 and Cornwall ; indeed had it not been for the wet summer of 

 1894 a much larger number would have died. 



The hill on the Falmouth and Truro Road opposite Killiow 

 shew^s the effects of the drought in a marked manner, — many of the 

 hollies have died, and all shew scant foliage, though this is gradually 

 getting thicker.* 



The Ash trees in 1894, with few exceptions, had very 

 little foliage, while every Plane-tree 1 have seen had the foliage 

 cut back. In the case of the Plane-trees, I think the effect was caused 

 by the early frost of January 4th, or the late frost after the leaf 

 had broken forth. 



The dry summer of 1 893, however, had been good for the Oak 

 trees, and resulted in a large crop of acorns, whilst in 1894 there were 

 scarcely any ; but the amount of seed on the Beeches in i y94, was 

 more plentiful that I can remember before. 



Again, the frost of Jan. 4th caused the loss of nearly all, if 

 not all, the Eucalypti globosi, or Australian Blue Gums. Some 

 indeed are shooting up again, such as the fine tree at Penmere, 

 near Falmouth. This tree, about 70 feet high, which has produced 

 good seed, is now a brown stem with shoots coming out of it some 

 20 or 30 feet up the trunk, and though it may recover, it can never 

 be the tree it has been for the last 30 years or so. 



*The Hollies now, in Feb. 1896, shew the full effect of the damage done, and, 

 except that most of them have a thick lot of shoots at the bottom, are not likely 

 to recover their former beauty for a long time. 



Between Marazion and St. Erth a similar amount of damage can be 

 noticed. 



On the high ground in the Parish of Mawnan the long shoots of the Hazel 

 were all cut back at the time of the frost and east winds of 1895, 



