68 EFFECTS OF THE SEVERE WINTER OF 1860-1, UPON 
often to lighten their burden of snow a little, lest they should 
be utterly prostrated; but we should meddle as little as possihle 
at such times. Almost every Deodara at Edinburgh has suffered 
serious injury to its foliage for a year or two. 
Happily, in many situations in Northumberland, both on 
elevated but well-sheltered grounds in the interior, and in shel- 
tered localities near the sea, many fine specimens of Araucaria, 
Deodara, and other of the most interesting species of exotic 
evergreen vegetation, remain unhurt; whilst at Chillingham, 
Kslington, Hast and West Bolton, Lilburne, the river-sides at 
Alnwick, and the gardens and terraces at Gibside, wheresoever 
lawns occupy low ground, subject to excessive dews and hoar 
frosts, the damage has been serious. On the other hand, the 
higher garden grounds and more airy lawns or shrubberies have 
suffered little at Twizell, Rock, Swansfield, the upper portions of 
Huln Park, Roddam, Glanton Pike, and Hedgeley. The gar- 
dens at Fallowden, though on a low level and near water, enjoy 
a mild winter-climate, from their vicinity to the sea. Here 
grow stately ilexes, and a remarkably fine Cryptomeria japonica, 
large plants of the sweet bay, &c. Howick also is favour- 
able to the ilex, which has shown itself generally not much 
hardier than the arbutus in Northumberland. At Swansfield 
and at Glanton Pike, both occupying elevated summits, but well 
sheltered by wood, we find two of the best and most vigorous 
Araucarias. 
Of Cryptomerias we have but few tall and thriving specimens, 
many having been destroyed by the last or preceding winters. 
Not only at Ravensworth Castle, however, are there fine Crypto- 
merias, but several, not easily surpassed, in the garden grounds 
of the Rectory at Whickham, which develope themselves in a 
very robust manner, on high airy ground. At Edinburgh, in 
Lawson’s nursery, many Cryptomerias, six feet high, remained 
unhurt, but their numbers are much diminished since last year. 
These facts will be held, I think, to add new interest to our 
local Climatology, whilst they are encouraging to the owners of 
gardens and pleasure grounds of unpretending extent and charac- 
ter; as showing, that favoured by nature in the hour of trial, 
