542 Memarh upo7i the Winter of IS^d-^^O, 



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 throughout 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 essential 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 Natural 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 side 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 months 

 of December and January, or in the early part of February, 

 such as the winter aconite (Eranthis hiemalis), snowdrop 

 (Galanthus nivalis), hepatica (//epatica triloba), furze (i/lex 

 europae'a), hazel (Corylus ^vellana), stinking hellebore 

 (jyelleborus foe tidus), spurge hazel (Z)aphne Laureola), 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 observe 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 61st and 62d Letters to the Hon. Daines Barrington. 



