310 



On the Effects of the Winter of 1879-80. 



destroyed. Ivy on walls was all cut to the ground. In Walnuts the young 

 wood killed hack to two-years-old wood. A few of the finest Hybrid Rho- 

 dodendrons were utterly killed. The Standard Roses are aU dead. 



Subjoined is a list of the temperatures for December, 1879, and January, 

 J880: — 



1879— Dec. 1— 4° of frost and fall of 



1879— Dec. 13- 2« of f 



rost. 



snow. 



„ 16- 2 , 





„ 2— 12« of frost and 12in. 



„ 18- 2 





of snow. 



„ 19— 5 





,, 3 — 21 freezing all day, 



„ 21— 6 





most severe. 



„ 25- 2 





„ 4—31 do. do. 



„ 26— 5 





„ 5—24 of frost. 



„ 27— 3 





,, 6 — 9 „ more snow. 



1880-Jan. 12— 4 





„ 7—12 



„ 13- 5 





„ 8—14 



„ 19— 9 





„ 9- 9 



„ 20-10 





„ 10- 5 



„ 26-10 





„ 11—15 



„ 27- 8 





„ 12-11 





[Some of the killed Araucarias were fine trees. In the Pinetum here there 



are some grand old examples of Finus Austriaca ; Wellingtonia gigantea rises 



30 feet high ; Picea Nordmanniana, 40 feet ; and P. nobilis, 60 f 



3et]. 

 N, Esq. 



Kimmerghame. By Archibald Campbell Swinto 



of last Winter'' s Frost. 



The Laurels, both Portugals and Bays, were killed to the ground, and it 

 has been necessary to cut them all over without a single exception. Even 

 the Rhododendrons (generally very hardy) have partially suiiered. Nearly 

 all the HoUies were killed. Yews did not look so bad at first, but as spring 

 advanced, they withered more and more, and a considerable portion of them 

 wiU require to be cut to the ground. Of Coniferce very few have sustained 

 any injury except Wellingtonias and Deodaras. The latter are in great 

 measure destroyed. Of the former nearly all the lower branches are killed, 

 which will greatly affect their shapely appearance. Of forest trees, the Oaks 

 alone seem to have suffered. Many old Oaks have thrown out very scanty 

 foliage, and in most of these instances the leaves that have been produced are 

 of enormous size — sometimes as much as a foot in length. With vigorous 

 pruning, and cutting off the dead branches, most of these Oaks may, it is 

 hoped, be allowed a chance of recovering next year. Neither Thorns nor 

 Laburnums blossomed last spring ; and there was literally no fruit of any 

 kind -numbers of Apple trees especially being killed. Whins and Wild 

 Roses (especially the former) are also killed. 



Mr David Jack, the gardener at Kimmerghame, supplies a few additional 

 remarks. " During the frost of December, 1879, 1 had two thermometers out- 

 side ; one hung on a wall 4 feet above ground facing the north, but well 



