Effects of the Winter of 1878-9, by James Hardy. 143 



" In Berwick, though some people have lost a few roses, &c., T do not 

 think the frost has done so much harm to vegetation as in the country, the 

 sea air having probably a good effect." Feb. 27th. "Yesterday and to-day 

 the blackbirds and thrushes have been singing in the garden, so also have 

 the larks m the fields ; it is quite spring-like. There are still a few thrushes, 

 redwings, and fieldfares left, but their numbers have been sadly diminished 

 by the storm." March 8th. " Yesterday there were 15 eider ducks off shore 

 here, as well as several flocks of mallards and scaup ducks ; also a few solan 

 geese." April 28th. " I got a ring dotterel's nest last week. The redshanks 

 were in considerable force along at Goswick, but I did not succeed in finding 

 a nest. Blackbirds and thrushes, and in fact all our small birds are very 

 much diminished in numbers this year, and in the fir plantations, where last 

 year every good place held a nest, they are this year comparatively scarce, 

 and the thrush's song is very seldom heard. The swallow was seen here on 

 the 25th inst., very late." 



Tweed Villa, Norham. By Miss Dickinson. 

 8 large Lauristinus all killed to the ground ; 17 Laurels (15 killed to the 

 ground, 2 not quite so bad) ; 5 Aucuba Japonicas all much injured ; 1 Gum 

 Cistus killed ; 7 large Hollies (2 killed quite to the roots, 3 much injured) ; 

 8 small Hollies unhurt ; 7 large Portugal Laurels all much blighted ; about 

 one half the Eoses killed to the ground, or very much hurt; 1 Ayrshire Rose 

 dead, the Eoses sheltered from the north-west least hurt ; 4 large Lavender 

 Bushes (2 killed, the others broken a little by the weight of the snow). 

 1 Plum (standard) killed. 1 young Pear killed. A pink Fuchsia nearly 

 killed ; all the red ones as usual, only later. The Deutzia and Weigelia, all 

 unusually good. The other shrubs much as usual. 



Rose Bank Villa. 

 Much the same as the others, except 1 large Deodar kUled, and 2 injured. 



Pallinsburn. By Ed-ward Willoby, Jun., Esq. 



In answer to your enquiries regarding the destruction caused by last 

 winter's frost, to Shrubs, &c., at Pallinsburn, I find that Bays, Hollies, and 

 Portugal Laurels have suffered extremely, especially those upon cold wet soil. 



Trees of the Cedar class have stood the winter remarkably well. 



Great destruction has also been caused to small birds— in fact thrushes and 

 blackbirds are rarely to be met with. 



Ford Castle. By Mr Henry Trotter. 

 I am sorry that I only kept a register of the frost for ten days, during the 

 severest of the winter. I never found anything like the morning of the 14th 

 December in my life ; at Millfield the thermometer was 7° below zero ; at 

 Paston it was 6" below zero. The winter has cut down mostly all the com- 

 mon Laurels, while the Portugal Laurel has suffered very little. "We have 

 lost a great many Standard Eoses ; the dwarfs have not suffered much, 



