NORTHTTMBERLAND AND DTJKHAM. 63 



as we can give of the power of the heat iu summer. " Seven 

 different species of fruit-trees ripen their fruit in the southern 

 counties, which seldom do so in this latitude : these are the vine, 

 the fig, the quince, the medlar, the walnut, the chestnut, and 

 the mnlberry. This may be ascribed, in some measure, to the 

 presence of cold easterly winds during the spring months, des- 

 troying the blossoms ; to the low temperature of our autumns, 

 which prevents the young wood from hardening and matiu-ing 

 the buds enveloping the flowers in embryo ; but more especially 

 to the want of a continuance of sufficient heat, during the sum- 

 mer, to bring the fruit which is occasionally formed to perfection, 

 for all these trees withstand the winter frost tolerably well in 

 sheltered situations. The vine seldom flowers, and if by chance 

 small grapes are produced, they soon drop off. The fig is seldom 

 seen out of the hot-house, or against a hot wall, and is otherwise 

 barren, except in the sonth- eastern corner of Durham; and speak- 

 ing generally, the same may be said of the quince and medlar. 

 These flower freely, and the latter has ripened its fruit twice 

 during twenty years at Jesmond, near E'ewcastle. The walnut 

 and chestnut stand in the same predicament; and even the fil- 

 bert bears very sparingly. The mulberry is here a low stunted 

 tree, but in hot summers bears abundance of small fruit, which 

 in part comes to maturity, and is well flavoured." 



Respecting the shrubs liable to be killed by frost in severe 

 winters we need not say much, as the species are very much the 

 same everywhere, along the east side of the island, between 

 Edinburgh and London. The following are some of the com- 

 monest, those placed early in the list being the most liable to 

 suffer. Eor fuller detail bearing upon this point, and facts, 

 showing how some of them, in cases of severe frost, have stood 

 better in the immediate vicinity of the sea, and in slightly ele- 

 vated localities, than in low-lying inland stations, we may refer 

 our readers to two papers, by Ealph Carr, Esq., in the third and 

 fifth volumes of onr Transactions. 



Laurus nobilis, Cedrus Deoiara, Viburnum tinus, Cri/ptomeria 

 japonica, Rhamnus alaternus, Quercus ilex, PJdllyrea latifolia, 

 media, angustifolia, Cistus ladaniferus, TJiuia filiformis, Aucula 



