306 On the Effects of the Winter of 1879-80. 



The great branches are nearly killed, while here and there great tufts of ab- 

 normally -sized leaves have made their appearance within the last six weeks. 

 The trunks are densely clothed with a forest of shoots, where previously a 

 leaf was never seen. In some instances the trees seem dead entirely. I 

 walked through the park at Swinton House in the begiuning of July, and 

 near the Leet especially, remarked the destruction the cold had caused to 

 the fine old Oaks, many of them centuries old. At that time there were no 

 appearances of fresh growth, but I daresay now, there will be a tufty spring- 

 ing of young shoots, which another severe frost would undoubtedly finish 

 entirely. In similar situations Standard Hollies are killed to the root. A 

 fine row of them which grew on the bank above Hutton Bridge, which, in 

 ordinary years, were shining at Christmas with scarlet berries, were, in De- 

 cember last, killed to the ground. No shoots having shown themselves from 

 the roots this summer, I thought they were killed outright, but within the 

 last few weeks the tender green shoots are showing themselves. Whether 

 the wood will ripen to enable them to stand the winter remains to be seen. 

 At Blackadder gardens, where, on the 4th December, the exposed thermome- 

 ter registered 23° below zero, the destruction to shrubs, trees, and fruit trees 

 has been very great ; Peach trees being killed into the ground— Standard 

 Apples the same— both planted for long periods. Common Laurels, Rhodo- 

 dendrons, Pinuses, &c., are utterly ruined. On the opposite side of the 

 Blackadder, at AUanbank, situated higher up on the bank, the thermometer 

 registered 13° below zero ; while at Kelloe House it shewed 17° below zero. 

 The situation at AUanbank is very similar to Blackadder garden ; and had 

 the instrument been in the garden instead of at the house, the temperature 

 observed would have been as low as that at Blackadder. At Ninewells, on 

 the Whitadder, the mercury was in the bulb of the iustrument at 8° below 

 zero. The temperature at Chirnside Bridge was 6^" below zero — while on the 

 hill, out of the rind, the instrument was never much below zero. It was near 

 the river where the frost rind lay, that the low temperatures were observed. 

 On the Tweed and Teviot, this was well seen, where at Spriugwood Park and 

 Ormiston, very low temperatures were registered. The Common Ivy is 

 everywhere killed in low situations, and many a tree is denuded of its ancient 

 friend. The Oak, the HoUy, and the Ivy, three plants we are accustomed to 

 associate iu our minds with everything that is hardy and sturdy, seem to be 

 the most remarkable instances of the damage caused by the frost. All three 

 have suffered equally. No such state of matters has ever been observed by 

 the oldest men now living. 



A small bird was observed frozen to death while drinking from a water- 

 pipe. The water froze in an icicle and attached the bird, so that it could not 

 again move. This was observed at the paper works near my house. It will 

 take many years before the Thrush will be as plentiful as of yore, and other 

 smaU birds have also decreased in numbers. During the snow-storm in 

 December, three persons in this district perished in one week from exposure, 

 and many very severe cases of frost-bite were treated at the time. I think I 

 have given you sufficient proof of the stinging cold we experienced, which I 

 hope may never in our time again be felt by any of us. 



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