Effects of the Winter 0/ 1878-9, by James Hardy. 145 



four miles north, from here ; the death-rate there amongst trees has been 

 much greater than with us. Several oaks I noticed, which must have been 

 planted early in the last century, all but killed. 



List of a few trees and shrubs that have been killed or injured here by 

 frost during the past winter : — Killed to the ground— Hollies of different 

 sorts ; Laurels, common and Portugal ; Ehododendrons (hybrids) ; Roses ; 

 much injured, but are, I think, recovering— Yews, common ; Ivy, various 

 sorts ; Conifers of various kinds are much hurt, some all but dead. 



Mr Gregson of Lowlynn, of date June 18tli, 1879, when trans- 

 mitting the two last notices, which, he favoured me in obtaining, 

 remarks : — 



"The 14th of December seems generally to have been the most severe 

 night. Here we had ^3 degrees of frost, and that was our lowest ; 24 at 

 Haggerston; 8 "below zero" at Chillingham and Milfield; and 6 at 

 Paston. I was at Ford the other day, and walked through the pleasure 

 grounds, and there I saw all the shrubs below the Castle, cut to the ground. 

 I noticed a Pinus excelsa almost killed ! I have never known that Pine cut or 

 injured before. The Ivy too on the Castle waUs is very much injured, and 

 much of it wUl not recover. Here we have not suffered at all, and I may say 

 the same of Haggerston." 



Cowpland, Castle. By Matthew T. Culley, Esq. 



I am glad to give such information as I can to your letter of enquiry, as to 

 the effects of our late winter. Unfortunately, I cannot, at the moment, give 

 you our height above the sea-level, nor can I give you the exact temperature 

 of last winter, as I have not a registering thermometer ; however, I can tell 

 you that on the morning of December 14th last, the thermometer stood at 

 20 degrees in the entrance -hall, with all doors and windows shut. "We are 

 near a river, but high above it, and the river is streamy and the soil light, 

 warm, and gravelly, so we are not troubled with those nocturnal mists that 

 are so destructive to vegetation in frost. Nevertheless, we did not altogether 

 escape, though mercifully dealt with in comparison of our neighbours. 

 Hollies suffered, but were not destroyed ; common Laurels were cut to the 

 ground, as also Bays and Lauristiauses, but Portugal Laurels suffered com- 

 paratively little. Ivy on trees was nearly destroyed ; the ivy with which the 

 front of my house is covered, seemed dead for long, but has revived, and is 

 growing vigorously, only a few shoots being actually killed. A great many 

 rose bushes are cut to the ground. No forest trees have suffered but the 

 oaks, and in a few cases — one before my window notably — the young twigs 

 of these of the last two or three years' growth are quite withered, and have 

 snapped off like tinder at the joints. I did not notice this tiU my cousin, 

 George Culley of Fowberry, pointed it out to me ; he has suffered terribly in 

 tliis way, but Fowberry lies low on the banks of a sluggish river. Most of 

 my oaks liave escaped. 



Gorse (whins) are nearly destroyed, and so is much broom. 



S 



