On the Effects of the Winter of 1879-80. 845 



the river Teviot, had all the leading shoots killed, and seemed otherwise quite 

 dead ; most of them, however^ in ahout two months after the usual time of 

 sprouting, made young leaves from the main trunk and some from the 

 branches, and others again, have made no leaves at all. Those trees which 

 sprouted again have made unusually large leaves (nearly double the ordinary 

 size), and the danger will be that with another severe winter on the unripened 

 wood the trees wiU be killed entirely. Many other trees suffered as well as 

 the Oaks, viz.— Spanish Chestnut, Planes, Elms, and Ashes ; in these many of 

 the branches and last year's woods are dead, and the trees wiU be long before 

 they assume their original shape, if ever they do so. 



Shrubs also suffered severely, the following were all killed to the ground 

 Yews, Hollies, Box, Cupressus Lawsoni, Picea Finsapo, Araucaria imbricata, 

 Portugal and common Laurels, Jasminum nudijlorum, Wistaria Sinensis, many 

 old apple trees. Peach trees on the wall and Apricots, Schumac, Privet, 

 Laburnum, both Scotch and common, and all the Roses, Pernettya mucronata 

 and aU the EscaUonias, besides many others. My house here is covered with 

 a great variety of Climbing plants, and the only three that were not killed 

 down or damaged were Atragene Austriaca, Frunus Sinensis, fl. pi., and Acer 

 negundo variegata. From Kelso aU the way to Mounteviot up to an elevation 

 of 60 feet above the river Teviot, the Oaks and Spanish Chestnuts are affected 

 in the way I have mentioned. Herbaceous and Alpine plants were nothing 

 the worse, having such a good covering of snow, in fact some plants such as 

 the Libertias, Francoas, and Montbretias which unusually require protection 

 were quite unhurt in the open border. 



Oct. 21th, 1880. 



Jedhurgh. By Mr John Hilson. 



The destruction of trees and shrubs by the dreadful severity of the frost of 

 Dec. 4th, 1879, is unexampled in this district. Gentlemen's grounds are fuU 

 of gaps from the havoc committed. Yews, Ehns, Young Oaks, Rhododendra, 

 Laurels, Ivies, and Hollies, all have suffered a fatal blight. The work of 

 death was gradual, for it was far into spring, and some extent into summer, 

 before vitality shewed itself as hopeless in the trees. Nothing like it here- 

 abouts is remembered. All agree that it was the above date which witnessed 

 the blow. People unite in saying that it exceeded in severity anything ever 

 felt in the valleys of the south of Scotland. I was at Torquay at the time, 

 and there the cold was intense, a dry skin-flaying rigour of climate which the 

 Channel air did nothing to moUify. A friend in Kelso teUs me that in that 

 town the frost was so arctic in keenness that if you grasped an iron handle of 

 a pump, the skin of the hand would be left attached. The rest of the winter 

 here was not so severe, and when New Year was past it became milder than 

 we had it in Devonshire. 



Sept. 2nd, 1880. 



Mounteviot. By Mr John Page. 



I have looked up the weather account, as kept at the gardens here, for the 

 the year 1879, showing the height above the sea level, number of wet days, 



