McNAb—PLANTING OF HARDY EVERGREENS. 329 
of April, 1828, which 
planted in an exposed situation, and in very sandy soil, by the side 
of similar species, which had I 
Both looked perfectly healthy ; but in March a severe drying frosty 
urs, h 
were all more or less injured, having their leaves, or great part of 
My next puzzle I must state upon the authority of another— 
{ certainly know no parallel instance myself. In the Gardener's 
Magazine, Vol. V, p. 669, we are told that on the west coast of 
Scotland (the particular place is not named) the Digitalis canart- 
ensts “is one of the hardiest plants we have, and ripens its seeds 
abundantly, retaining its verdure throughout the severest winter, 
and is, indeed, quite an evergreen shrub.” __ 
ow, supposing the fact to be so (for, be it recollected, I by no 
means state it on my own authority), I think it most extraordinary ; 
for I know well that, on the east coast of Scotland, a degree of 
frost, much less than occurs in any part of the west of Scotland 
which I have been in, is sufficient totally to kill the Digialis 
canariensis ; and it is utterly incomprehensible to me how, on the 
west coast, this plant has acquired a power of resisting cold which 
I know it does not possess here. 
hese, and a multitude of other examples of admitted ignorance, 
might be quoted against Scotch gardeners, and we must be content 
to bear the imputation, suspecting all the while, however, that we 
ar€ not very singular. These, and a thousand similar instances, it 
seem to me, form the difficulties with which it is the province 
of “science” to grapple; and he who shall solve them may, in 
