206 



INJURIES TO PLANTS, WINTER, 1880-81. 



ground, with a subsoil of chalk of depths from 7 to 20 feet. 

 Alt. and Exposure — 300 ft., slightly sloping N. to Thames valley. 

 Rainfall, 1880—36-31 ins. 



Min. Temps, and Bates — [Brockham, dist., 7 ms., E. ; alt., 200 

 ft. ; Jan. 25th, -1° : Abinger Hall, dist., 4£ ms., S., 0°]. 



Plants injured, 1880-81 — 8 (2) — Arbutus Unedo, 2. Bupleurum 

 fruticosum, 2. Buxus balearica, 2. Cedrus Deodara, 2. Garrya 

 elliptica, 2. Laurel, Bay, 2. Laurel, common, round-leaved var., 2. 

 Laurustinus, 2. 



Observations — The year 1880 was unfavourable for tree growth 

 in spite of the wetness of the season. The progress of the Larch, of 

 which there are extensive plantations on the hills here, and of the 

 Coniferse generally, are not equal to that of the two preceding sea- 

 sons. The extraordinary rainfall of Sept. and Oct. (14 ins. which 

 is almost unprecedented), and the mildness of the latter month till 

 about the 25th left every thing growing and nothing ripened. Then 

 came a heavy fall of snow, which did not melt for three days. The Oaks, 

 Elms and Beeches being green and full of leaf were extensively muti- 

 lated and injured. The mischief is felt now in barking, as the trees 

 we are cutting do not break readily, some not all. The injury 

 done to Larch trees, 25 years old, by the hard frosts of six years 

 ago is singular. Many in a deep valley of the chalk hills were cut 

 out, being evidently dead, and others showed signs of life ; but every 

 year it seemed that the revival was but temporary, and now on a 

 space of two acres in the bottom, every tree is decidedly dead, of the 

 average height of 36 feet. 



2. Kew, Eoyal Gardens.* — Mr. G. Nicholson. 



Gen. Char, of Soil — [Light on gravel]. 



Alt. and Exposure — [A few feet above the Thames]. 



Rainfall, 1880— Kew Obs., alt., 19 ft. ; ht., 1 ft. 9 ins. ; 28 73 

 ins., on 163 days]. 



Min. Temps, and Bates — [Chiswick, dist., 2 ms., E.; Jan. 17th, 

 5°: Isleworth, dist., 2 ms., W. ; Jan. 17th, 4°-6]. 



Plants injured, 1880-81—68 (1), 66 (2), 18 (3)— Abelia rupes- 

 tris, on wall, 3 ; A. triflora, in open, 1 ; on wall, 3. Akebia qui- 

 nata, in open, matted, 1 . Amicea Zygomeris, 2. Aralia Sieboldii, 

 1 ; A. spinosa, 2. Arbutus Unedo, vars., 1, 2. Aristolochia altis- 



* From Gardners' Chron., vol. xvi., 1881, pp. 167, 204. 



