.476 Trcmsaclions of the London Horticultural Society^ 



tion of severe weather longer, but on this occasion several concurrent circum- 

 stances contributed to mark the effects of the season more distinctly. At no 

 previous time in the history of English gardening have there been so many 

 rare exotics exposed to' the naked influence of the climate; for the mildness 

 of several previous winters, and the general increase of a desire to introduce 

 new plants, had filled our gardens with species before unseen except in 

 greenhouses. 



" Not only were all the common annual vegetables cultivated in kitchen 

 gardens entirely destroyed in the colder parts of the country, but strawberry 

 plants prepared for forcing were so much injured as to be incapable of pro- 

 ducing their flowers, and the vine was in many cases killed in greenhouses, in 

 which a fire was not lighted. Among our native trees, the yew was affected 

 in Cambridgeshire, and much more so at Glasgow ; Ruscus aculeatus was 

 injured in its native woods in Kent ; the ivy lost its leaves and common 

 thyme and broom were killed near London ; the furze perished wholly above 

 ground not only all round London, but even in South Wales, Cornwall and 

 Devonshire ; Atripex Halimus lost its branches in Cambridgeshire ; many of 

 the hardy heaths were killed to the ground ; and the common periwinkle was 

 observed by Mr. Dillwyn to lose its leaves at Sketty in South Wales. Even 

 at the latter place, where the climate is comparatively mild, Menziesia poli- 

 folia was destroyed ; Erica vagans, with its varieties, was much injured at 

 Woburn ; and the common holly was extensively affected in several places in 

 the middle and north of England; this plant however offered very different 

 powers of resisting cold, some of the varieties proving much hardier than 

 others, and, according to the observations of Mr. M'Intosh, those which are 

 variegated, more so than the plain kinds. Of numerous exotic trees and shrubs 

 from the South of Europe, New Holland, the Himalaya mountains, China, 

 and the alpine regions of South America, many of which had been growing 

 for years unharmed, a large proportion perished. Nearly all the rare spe- 

 cimens of this kind which had been collected, with so much care and cost, 

 in the Society's Garden, were destroyed. All round London fine old ever- 

 green oaks, and cork trees had their leaves and }'oung shoots turned brown, 

 laurustinuses, sweet bays, and the common Arbutus were generally cut off, 

 while in most gardens not a plant remained alive above ground of all the 

 beautiful varieties of the China rose and its kindred species. 



" These and similar facts have induced me to investigate the extent of the 

 mischief produced throughout the country in different situations ; and by the 

 kindness of those gentlemen to whom I applied for such evidence as came 

 within their knowledge, I have been enabled to assemble a considerable 

 amount of interesting information. My thanks are in particular due to — 

 The Rev. Frederick Beadon, North Stoneham, Hampshire. Mr. William 

 Beattie Booth, Gardener to Sir Charles Lemon, Bart. M.P., Carclew, near 

 Penryn, Cornwall. Philip Davies Cooke, Esq., Owston, near Doncaster, 

 Yorkshire. Lewis Weston Dillwyn, Esq., Sketty, near Swansea. Mr. James 

 Forbes, Gardener to his Grace the Duke of Bedford, Woburn Abbey, Bedford- 

 shire. Mr. Philip Frost, Gardener to Lady Grenville, Dropmore. The Rev. 

 Professor Henslow, Cambridge. The Hon. and Rev. William Herbert, 

 Spofforth, near Wetherby, Yorkshire. Mr. Stephen Hooker, Nurseryman, 

 Brenchley, Kent. Mr. George Leslie, Gardener to John Fleming, Esq., 

 Stoneham Park, Southampton. Mr. James Townsend Mackay, Trinity Col- 

 lege, Dublin. Mr. Frederick Mackie, Nurseryman, Norwich. Mr. Charles 

 M'Intosh, Gardener to H. M. the King of the Belgians, Claremont. Sir 

 Charles Miles Lambert Monck, Bart., Beisay Castle, Northumberland. Sir 

 Oswald Mosley, Bart., Rolleston Hall, Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. Lieut, 

 Gen. Henry Monckton, Somerford Hall, near Wolverhampton. Mr. Stewart 

 Murray, Curator of the Botanic Garden, Glasgow. Mr. Ninian Niven, 

 Curator of the Glasnevin Botanic Garden, Dublin. John P. Parkin, Esq., 

 Honorary Secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society of Cornwall, John 



