On the Effects of the Winter of 1879-80. 341 



year. Of the ninety-two days of these three months there were only ten on 

 which rain did not fall. 



The severe frost of December, J 860, when the temperature here went down 

 to 9° below zero, destroyed many fine trees and shrubs ; Oaks, Yews, Hollies, 

 Box, &c., however, were not hurt. But it has been otherwise with the frost 

 of 1879. Oaks have suffered much, and although none have been killed, yet 

 the condition of a few is such that it remains a question if they will ever make 

 fine trees. All the young shoots, many of the small branches and several 

 large ones have been destroyed. Under some of the trees the ground was 

 covered with dead twigs during the summer, that had dropped off as the trees 

 came into leaf, which was unusually late, as nearly all the buds that would 

 have produced young shoots had perished ; and other buds— what may perhaps 

 be called latent buds— were destined to take their place in furnishing the 

 means of the growth of the tree. Where any of the proper buds had escaped, 

 the growth of the shoot was exceedingty rapid, producing in some cases long 

 willow-like growths with large unshapely leaves of great substance. The 

 longest of these that I found measured six feet ten inches. This shoot was 

 taken from an oak eight feet in circumference at four feet from the ground. 

 The leaves on this shoot were not remart able, measuring only about six inches 

 long, but large oak leaves were very rommon on this tree and many others — 

 the largest I have is 12J inches by 7 inches broad. The trunks of oak trees, 

 although not frost-split, were hurt, as was seen in the operation of peeling 

 them for bark. From an unequal distribution of the sap, large patches of the 

 bark adhered persistently to the wood. 



As regards Hollies, many of them are dead, a few slightly hurt, others very 

 much ; but wherever there were signs of life in any of them, they have been 

 left, if peradventure they may recover from the injury they have sustained. 

 It may be worthy of remark that here there were two very old Hollies and 

 one has been killed and the other has escaped ; they were of the same variety, 

 their age is not known. The dimensions of the one that was killed was 34 

 feet high, and with very spreading branches ; the trunk short and 9 feet 

 7 inches in circumference. The one that is left is much taller, but not near 

 so spreading. 



It was not seen that Yews had sufitered so much till mid -summer, when one 

 branch after another continued to die till late in the autumn. In early spring 

 it was evident that some would die, but many kept their verdure till summer 

 and even autumn before the leaves changed their hue. The large yew hedge 

 on either side of the green walk escaped unhurt ; its broad dense top kept a 

 heavy coating of snow throughout the intense frost, which, doubtless, formed 

 a good protection. 



One Wellingtonia gigantea has been killed, the others are hurt. Walnuts 

 were very much destroyed, in one the large branches are dead to the trunk. 

 Juniperus Virginiana (Red Cedar) and Cedrus Atlantica, like the Yews, have 

 gone off bit by bit ; out of seven trees of the latter, only two remain. As for 

 Cedrus Deodar a, all are dead. Elders, Briars (Dog Rose), and Privets in the 

 woods are much hurt and made little growth. 



From what has been said of these hardy trees and shrubs, the fate of those 

 less hardy will be readily conceived. When speaking of only what is hardy 



