On the Effects of the Winter of 1879-80. 329 



Morwich. By tlie Eev. James I. Dand, Cheyington Eectory. 



Morwick is situate on tlie south bank of the Coquet, two miles west from 

 "Warkworth, 100 feet above the sea, and 50 feet above the Coquet, from which 

 it is distant about 400 yards. The grounds are exceptionally well sheltered 

 by trees, and a hill towards the east, effectually breaks the "sea breezes." 

 The lowest temperature on the " cold Wednesday night and Thursday morn- 

 ing" in December, 1879, was 6° Fahr., i.e., 26° of frost. The thermometer 

 which registered this degree of cold was placed against a wall facing W., 3ft. 

 from the ground. 



Trees and Shrubs which bore this cold with impunity ;— 



All forest trees, such as Oak, Ash, Lime, Scotch and Spruce Firs (Alders 

 and "Willows, near the river also), escaped. 



Araucaria, Douglas Pine, Columbian Pine, WeUingtonia, Acacia (this tree, 

 a very fine one, of 60 or 80 years' growth, suffered slightly). Tulip Tree, 

 Cedars, Yew, Rhododendrons of aU kinds, Portugal Laurel, hardy Eoses 

 (such as " John Hopper," " Gloire de Dijon," and others of that nature), 

 Standards. 



The more delicate Eoses, trained to a wall with a south aspect, and a very 

 fine "Wistaria (I am not siire that I have given you the correct name of this 

 climber, it is evidently allied to the Acacia, and has a long fiower of a pink 

 colour, shaped like a Laburnums), which was also trained agaiast the same 

 wall, were killed to the ground, but are now growing again. The Common 

 Laurel, or Bay, was also killed to the ground. The Whins were quite killed 

 and have not yet sprung again. There are some very fine Ilexes on the lawn, 

 probably the largest in the North of England. Their leaves were aU 

 shrivelled and browned, and dropped prematurely, but they are now in very 

 fine foliage. A Fig tree, also against a south wall, was killed to the ground, 

 but is now shooting from the root (this tree is probably 70 years old). 



The smaller birds. Tits, Wrens, &c., have disappeared. Thrushes have 

 almost vanished. Fieldfares, I think, died to a bird. Blackbirds and Eobins 

 did not suffer so greatly. Eooks did not suffer at all. There were, three or 

 four years ago, a great number of Owls— the common Brown Owl — now I 

 hear none. (They have never been interfered with, and I think the frost 

 could scarcely be the cause of their absence). I might mention that Wasps 

 are numerous this summer, beyond all precedent, and have constituted them- 

 selves a plague ; attacking people engaged in harvest work, and most un- 

 pleasantly invading any room whose windows are left open during the day. 



Eabbits have become nearly extinct ; their absence is no doubt owing, in a 

 great measure, to the long -continued snow of the previous winter. The snow 

 covered the ground, it never " drifted," to the depth of two feet, and re- 

 mained for ten or twelve weeks. Partridges suffered severely ; so apparently 

 did Woodpigeons. Pheasants did not suffer at all — they are very numerous 

 this year ; they have not been reared artificially, 



Sept. 6th, 1880. 



BarnMll, AcMington. By John Tate Esq. 

 The •winter of 1878-9 was a severe one here. Bay trees, Laurestines, and 



