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



Subsequently Pinus Austriaca manifested symptoms of being harmed. On 

 September 12, 1879, it was still quite brown, excepting just at the top, and 

 looked as if it would hardly recover. Another P. Austriaca was somewhat 

 browned, but a third has not suffered at all. The Pines in question are be- 

 tween 30 and 40 years of age. Mr Bosanquet says, " they have always 

 hitherto seemed quite hardy, so that I should think there must have been 

 something unhealthy about the individual tree in question." 



Alnwick Castle. By Mr Coxon, Wood-Bailiff of tlie Duke of 

 Northumberland. 



A great many of the Common Laurel cut down by the frost ; also Aucuha 

 Japoniea ; and many of the Climbing Eoses. 



There is very little damage done to forest trees generally, but Larches in 

 some districts are looking very unhealthy, but I think it is more from the 

 ungenial summer than from the hard winter. Oaks have suifered very much 

 in some parts of the country from the caterpillars, being completely denuded 

 of their leaves. [The caterpillars probably of Tortrix viridana.'\ 



A good many of the Hybrid Rhododendrons are more or less hurt ; but 

 Ponticitm is very little the worse. 



Many of the Conifer.© have suffered considerably. The Deodar Cedar has 

 not lost many of its tops, but it looks sickly, and is not getting its foliage 

 weU ; and the same may be said of the Araucaria imbricata, and Pimis Pin- 

 sapo, P. Strobtis, and P. excelsa. The most hardy, and likely to make good 

 timber trees, of those lately introduced, are the P. Nordmanniana, P. nobilis, 

 and P. Douglasi, mere especially the last, as the timber, when matured, is 

 one of the best in the market. In certain situations it is by far the fastest 

 grower. We have them growing in the Park here, not more than fourteen 

 years from the seed, 25 feet high. We also have them under 50 years old, 

 with upwards of 100 cubic feet in them. 



[The Wellingtonia, which is as fast a grower as the Douglasi, though not 

 considered so good a timber tree, has not suffered. — F. H.] 



The Gorse has been nearly all cut down. 



August Wth. 



From an Agricultural point of view. — Mr John Patten, of tbe 

 Park Farm, Alnwick, remarks : — 



The past severe winter was very trying both to animal and vegetable life. 

 Notwithstanding extra care and attention, animals of almost all kinds 

 showed, at its close, unmistakeable signs of its severity. The feathered 

 tribes, small birds in particular, have perhaps sustained the greatest havoc, 

 owing to the intense cold, and their inability to reach their food. The 

 silence of the woods, and the absence of marauders in our gardens substanti- 

 ate this fact. 



The destruction of a certain class of animal life, which is a benefit rather 

 than otherwise, is seen in the great diminution of grub [of Tipula oleracea] 

 this summer, as compared with last, the larvee, no doubt, having in many 



