On the Effects of the Winter of 1879-80. 321 



Ford Castle Gardens. By Mr Henry Trotter. 



The glass fell to 11° below zero on the night of the 3rd and 4th of Decem- 

 ber, 1879 ; the glass was about three feet above the snow. The frost killed 

 some of our Peach trees, and injured others very much ; also all our Laurels, 

 both Portugal and Common, were killed down again. All plants of Aucuba 

 Japonica were cut down. Many large bushes of Common Yew were cut 

 down, and others very much injured. Irish Yews were also injured. 

 Wellingtonias suffered considerably. Of large plants of Thuja gigantea, about 

 one half are killed and disfigured ; while others standing by their side were 

 not touched. Not one of our Cypresses was touched. Cedrus Beodora was 

 cut down, also small plants of Araiicaria imbricata. Cotoneasters were all 

 killed. Garrya elUptica was killed down. Evergreen Oaks and Sweet Bays 

 were cut down ; and a great deal of different kinds of Ivy ou the walls was 

 killed, while other kinds are springing from the wall again. Quantities of 

 Common Privet were killed. Of herbaceous plants we lost few. Of Tritoma 

 Uvaria we lost many large plants. Roses suffered most ; of Standards we 

 have none left ; Dwarfs also suffered very much. 



At Etal all Peach trees were killed. 



August 23rd, 1880. 



Coupland Castle. By Matthew T. Culley, Esq. 



August 20, 1880. — As I told you before, the severe winter of 1878-9 

 destroyed very many of my Laurels and Hollies ; all tender shrubs of course 

 perishing, and Oaks suffered severely in their young shoots. The winter of 

 1879-80 was comparatively mild, but had one night— that of December 3id 

 —of intense frost. Not having a registering thermometer, I cannot tell the 

 exact degree of intensity here, but it was 8uffi( lent to kill all the Hollies and 

 Laurels (except two or three Hollies) that had been spared from the winter 

 before, and to cut liown to the ground the young shoots springing from the 

 cut shrubs, and very luxuriantly they had sprung during the wet summer of 

 1879. The Oaks again suffered frightfully ; many young, and I fear more 

 than one old one are killed ; the young wood which was taking the place of 

 that destroyed the winter before was cut off, as well as the growth of at least 

 one year previous. Very few leaves appear on the Oaks here this year, 

 though what there are appear to be of large size. Several small Yews, too, 

 are seriously injured, and the Box -trees, of which there are many, nearly all 

 turned brown that same night. These, however, I did not cut down, and I 

 am happy to say that many of them show signs of recovering. Our Eoses 

 were aU cut to the ground, though they have shot wonderfully this year. 

 The Calceolarias (under covert, of course,) were destroyed. 



Jan. 8th, 1881. — Here, as at Fowberry, the leaves on the blighted Oaks 

 are of huge size, though how to account for this I do not know. We have 

 them here quite equal in extent to the largest at Fowberry, which is 14 

 inches by 7. Ours is certainly the largest I ever saw, 16 inches by 7 ; it is a 

 most curious looking thing. The next in size is 11 inches by 6. 



A vast quantity of my Oaks have had to bo cut down ; they were chiefly 



