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



an unripe state, I am very mucli afraid that that unprecedented frost in 

 October, 1880, when the thermometer went 3° below zero will finish what the 

 year 1879 began. If so, Oaks in the flower garden here, which I have no 

 doubt are 200 years old, will aU perish. 

 January IZth, 1881. 



Minto House Ga/rdens. By Mr John Galloway. 



1878-9.— I am sorry I can give you no reliable information, as regards the 

 damage done on the banks of the river Teviot upwards, but it evidently must 

 have been great owing to the amount of debris that came down the morning 

 following the memorable night of the 28th December last. The storm com- 

 menced on the 1st December, 1878, and broke up on the 5th February, 1879, 

 except three fresh days we had on the 12th, 13th, and 14th, of January, 1878. 



The thermometer feU as low as 30° of frost during that time. 



The damage done to plants and shrubs was very trifling, except that I lost 

 some Pampas grass, and a few Tritomas. 



1879-80.— Frost set ia again on the 28th of November following, with 10" 

 of black frost for three nights runnirig. and 3 inches of snow on the day fol- 

 lowing. 



December 1st, 11° of frost, 2nd 27°, 3rd, 4° below zero, and on the morn- 

 ing of the 4th was the lowest that was registered here, 8° below zero ; on 

 the 5th at zero, 6th, 17°, 7th, 15°, 8th, 24°, 9th, 23°, 10th, 12=^, Uth, 17^. 

 12th, 17°, The thermometer was standing exposed 4 feet above ground. 



"We had fresh weather from the 5th to the 9th January, and the storm 

 broke up on 28th January, 1880. 



The damage sustained by trees and shrubs, owing to the last severe winter 

 I have mentioned, was almost exclusively confined to Laurestinuses, Euony- 

 muses. Acacias, Jasmines, Oarrya elliptica and Cotoneaster ; all those I have 

 mentioned are on Minto House, and under the shelter of a balcony, and are 

 aU more or less iajured by frost. Laurestines were frozen to the ground, but 

 are all coming away from the root. 



Hollies, Portugal Laurels, and Laurel -Bays. — Those that were well 

 exposed to the Ught, were only partially destroyed, but those that were under 

 the shelter of trees in lower ground were all frosted, but are coming away 

 from the root. Of two of Thuja gigantea, not over 20 yards apart, one is al- 

 most frosted to the ground, the other is scorched the same as if it had been 

 done by fire. 



Peaches, Pear, Apple and Apricot Trees.— The frost struck the trees 

 while their leaves were quite green. It froze them through and fixed them 

 on The withered leaves shrivelled as if fire had at once scorched and fixed 

 them. This gave the trees a ghastly death-like appearance. Some of the 

 green wood shared a fate similar to that of the leaves and was severely 

 bruised and discoloured. The branches have all the appearance of the cold 

 having hit them a violent blow, or as if they had been held vice-Uke in the 

 cold crushing gripe of the frost. 



But now October 1st, I am pleased to say that all the trees are in a duly 

 healthy condition, and I have gathered a nice crop of fruit off them all §xcept 



