132 Effects of the Winter of 1878-9, by James Hardy. 



subsequent black frosts. Garden and lemon thymes were both f^ost-bitten. 

 Old plants of stocks and wall flowers were killed ; Nepeta grandiflora, was cut 

 to the ground. Feb. 26, Fuchsia Eiccartoni commenced casting much of its 

 bark. Here it attains in the open upwards of 6 feet in height, and is very 

 hardy. The frost of Dec. 1879, however, has nearly killed one of the 

 bushes. Many of the garden roses had to be cut over. On March 3, the 

 winter aconite and snow-drops were in blossom, and some Christmas roses ; 

 catkins appeared on the hazel. On March 8th, at Lochend, near Dunbar, no 

 injury had happened to shrubs. In the cottage gardens, wall-flowers and 

 the Bass mallows were reduced to bare poles. At Diuiglass the Portugal 

 laurel was much blackened by frosts ; at Dryburn bridge in the open it was 

 in full flower. The turnip fields in East Lothian had been deprived of their 

 entire foliage at the snow-line. At Oockburnspath the young cabbages in 

 beds came safely out from beneath the snow, but while still flabby and moist, 

 the frosts that followed the snows, penetrated them, and the heads came ofE 

 entirely in a piece ; the snow had only pressed them down. Greens and 

 green-beds of the cottagers were annihilated. Of calceolarias in cold frames, 

 there were few escapes. On March 25th and 26th the cold frosty winds 

 were much felt ; furze became sore withered, and some of the branches were 

 killed. Snowdrops and winter aconites were flattened to the ground, and 

 the flowers of the first withered ; Alpine cress was nipped ; flowers appeared 

 to shrink together ; ivy on walls was pinched ; the Sweet Williams grew 

 withered ; crocus ready to blossom, kept its flowers closed ; but they opened 

 to the sun on the 29th, when the coltsfoot bloomed. April 2, blue Hepatica 

 bloomed ; and whins were in bloom. 



April 21. Near Lemanton and Houndwood the furze was extremely 

 flattened by the pressure of snow, and the twigs were more than usually 

 browned. Very little damage had been done to shrubs in the policy at 

 Houndwood. Eseallonia macrantha was hurt, and a narrow-leaved species 

 had its twigs pruned. Guelder rose had been much hurt in the twigs. 

 Ehododendrons had escaped. Some budded roses had been destroyed, and 

 other kinds had to be cut down. Cabbage plants and broccoli escaped. 

 Garden thyme was much bitten. Near the public road where much exposed, 

 hollies were singed, a cotoneaster was much shattered, and garden thyme 

 was nearly destroyed. At Horsley, which stands high, several yews were 

 nipped, Mahonla aquifolia was much blasted. Whins were sore tarnished, 

 and curiously twisted and flattened by the snow. April 28th, at Eenton 

 House, some recently planted Ehododendrons were hurt, and Arbor -vitses 

 were killed ; some of the Coniferaj were browned. 



May 2, reported from Coldingham, that border pansies kept fresh all the 

 winter, till the cold thaws came, when they seemed to wither up. Many 

 young double wallflowers and Antirrhinums planted in autumn, had at the 

 above date, become mere skeletons without bark (a fate that befell the entire 

 lot of my own). In the beds only small cabbage plants survived. 



May 5. Furze was sore blasted on the sea banks at Bilsdean ; MaJionia 

 aquifolia was much scorched in the nursery. At Dunglass, lauristinus was 

 much withered, and also the Arhutus, near exposed walks. Near the Man- 

 sion House, on the south side, a larger and smaller leaved variety of 



