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



planted at the usual time. Peas again were a month later than usual. I 

 attribute nearly all these effects to the cold, wet and sunless summer of 1879, 

 and very little to the cold of the winter. 



At Sir Robert Stevenson's, Stevenson House, below Haddington, and close 

 to the banks of the river Tyne, all the Laurels were killed, and large Hollies 

 from 20 to 30 feet high were killed to the ground ; while our Laurels were 

 not touched. Our lowest temperature was 2 degrees above zero. It was 

 lower at Haddington. 



Gardens. By Mr Allan McLean. 



The damage here from frost has been very great. We are within 200 

 yards of the river Tyne, and the air is always very damp. All the Laurels 

 have been cut down ; most of the Hollies also, and the remainder of them are 

 very sickly. Twenty -four of our Apple trees were quite killed, and a great 

 many of the Gooseberry bushes. The Pears on the walls suffered terribly, 

 and also our Peaches. 



As regards forest trees, young Oaks and Larches suffered very much, and 

 will never make handsome specimens. One Oak, bordering the carriage- 

 drive, 50 feet high, has only a few leaves on it, and wUl require to be cut 

 down. Others of the Oaks are split up in the centre, but seem to be healthy. 

 Fimis excelsa, Araiica7'ia hnbricata, and some yoimg Wellingtonias are killed. 

 We have a number of very old Walnut trees, which have perished. 



All the Privet on the estate is quite destroyed, and there is not one green 

 blade of Whins or Broom left. 



Uh November, 1880. 



Report of the effects of the Winter of 1879-80 at Tynninghame House. 

 By Mr E. P. Beotherston. 



Befoke giving notes on the damage received by vegetation from the winter 

 of 1879-80, it wiE be well to draw attention to this fact, that many of the 

 shrubs, &c., which finally succumbed to the late severe frost, really received 

 the first blow from the extremely cold wind in the late spring of 1877. Hedge- 

 rows in fresh leaf and exposed to the full force of that wind were left as if a 

 flame of fire had swept over them. A large specimen of Garrya elUptica 

 standing in one of the shrubberies is only now recovering from the damage it 

 received, whilst other things, as Arbutus Unedo, have not only not recovered, 

 but were damaged, in some instances, so much that they were either killed 

 outright during the past winter or are now dying. The destructive force of 

 cold winds is not sufficiently estimated. Only lately I had my attention 

 called to some shrubs exposed to the gale which destroyed the Tay Bridge 

 last December. The sides of these to the west were completely destroyed, 

 nothing remaining but bare branches and twigs. The waU devoted to apricots 

 in the garden is exposed to strong winds from the east ; and it is only when 

 the wind changes from that quarter that the trees commence to make their 

 summer growth ; one consequence of the trees being kept in a state of semi- 

 stagnation up to the end of June showing itself, in all trees young and old, 



