566 Effects of the Winter, 1880-81. By Kev. James 

 Farquharson, M.A. 



1878-79. 1879-80. 1880-81. 



Max. Min. Max. Min. Max. Min. 



October 53-1 43-2 53-2 35-7 48-5 34-3 



November 41-1 32-6 45-5 33,2 43-6 29-9 



December 34-0 25-3 39-4 26-2 41-6 31-3 



January 34-2 23-5 37*2 28 1 31-9 19-5 



February 36-9 28-5 45-2 35-0 37-6 27-7 



March 42-3 312 49-9 30-2 44-4 28-0 



AprU 47-1 33 8 52-0 35-1 51-2 31-2 



In October the lowest readings were on the the 20th and 22nd, 20*^ and 

 18° ; in November on the 2l8t, 22nd, and 23rd, 7°, 9°, and 12° ; in December, 

 on the 17th and 18th, 14° and 16° ; in January, on the 15th 16th, 17th, and 

 ISth, 8°, 6°, 1°, and 5° ; in February, on the 7th, 19° ; in March, on the 

 Ist, 2nd, and 3rd, 15°, 12°, and 12°, and on the 30th and 31st, 19° and 18° ; 

 and in April, on the 6th, 17°. The coldest day was January 17th, when the 

 thermometer never rose above U**. 



These figures indicate a winter of almost unexampled severity, which 

 throughout this county left its mark on vegetation, and proved destructive 

 to wild quadrupeds and birds. I have not learned that Forest Trees were 

 injured, but most Shrubs sufEered. The Holly, both standard and in hedges, 

 was cut down to the ground in many instances. Yews were browned at the 

 tips, and the sides of Tew hedges exposed to the sun scathed as if fire had 

 passed over them. Many Bay and Portugal Laurels which had struggled 

 through previous bad winters, now died. Common Ivy was much injured ; 

 and more tender shrubs, such as Aucuba, Laurestinus, Escallonia, Sec, were 

 killed. Rhododendrons, however, both the common Ponticum and finer sorts, 

 Btood the cold, and flowered well. At BowhiU, the trusses on jRhododendron 

 Fonticum were abundant ; but in most of the trusses some flowers failed to 

 develop. Cupressus Lawsoniana was scarcely touched, but many of the rarer 

 Conifera died. In general, Whins were cut down to the ground, and Broom 

 killed outright. 



In the lower part of the county Grasses were sensibly weakened, and the 

 pastures in spring proved very poor. Under the impresssion that the frost, 

 which for months held the earth in its iron grip to a great depth, must have 

 injured the hill pastures, I asked the Eev. J. Falconer, of Ettrick, to make 

 inquiry among the shepherds of his upland parish whether this was the case ; 

 but he did not flnd the impression confirmed. He met with the opinion, 

 indeed, that the deep snow, which lay on the hills unbroken through the 

 winter, had so thoroughly protected the grass, &c., that pastures early in 1881 

 were more nourishing than usual. This belief he did not entertain himself. 

 Concerning the general effect of the winter on hiU stock, Mr Falconer writes: 

 — "The sheep generally came through the winter much better than could 

 have been expected. "We must remember, however, that a vast quantity of 

 hay was consumed by them. The lamb crop was inferior in numbers and 

 quality." While reporting much death among shrubs in his parish, and 

 severe injury suffered by those which survived the winter, he states the fol- 

 lowing fact from which the inference may be drawn that the sun, bearing 

 Btrongly on shrubs during intense frost, must be credited with much of the 



