288 Observations upon the effects of Frost, 



that should not be overlooked by those who hope to make it a 

 subject of common cultivation in the milder parts of Ireland. 



Of the natural habits of Chinese plants little is known with 

 precision. Those which we possess in this country have been 

 generally purchased in the market of Macao, and there is no ascer- 

 taining whence they are brought. Many, no doubt, are obtained 

 from the northern provinces where the winter cold is severe ; and 

 it is to be presumed that they are what we find hardy enough to 

 sustain a temperature of — 4y°, or lower. Among these are 

 especially deserving of notice the beautiful Cunninghamia sinensis ; 

 Amygdalus pumila ; Fraxinus lentiscifolia, a forest tree of the most 

 ornamental character; Glycine sinensis; Juniperus chinensis, a 

 valuable evergreen ; the noble Yu-lan, or Magnolia conspicua ; 

 Kcelreuteria paniculata, a fine deciduous tree ; tree Paeonies ; 

 Taxodium sinense, and> the magnificent climber Bignonia grandi- 

 flora. Of the Chinese Azaleas, A. indica alba proved the most 

 hardy. I scarcely know in what light to regard the unexpected 

 fact of Illicium anisatum having escaped at Claremont, where it was 

 exposed to a temperature of — 12° ; but it is worthy of notice, that 

 I. floridanum is reported in so many places to be hardy, that no 

 doubt can remain upon that point at least ; see p. 261. The fact 

 mentioned by Mr. Dillwyn, of Pittosporum Tobira not having suf- 

 fered in South Wales more than Arbutus Unedo, is important, and 

 renders it desirable that this handsome evergreen should become 

 the subject of e xperiments as to its hardy qualities elsewhere. That 

 Thea viridis should have stood where T. Bohea was killed, will 

 doubtless be regarded as an additional proof of the Black and 

 Green Tea plants being distinct species. 



Such Japanese plants as have been the subject of experiment, 

 have, in the greatest number of cases, afforded evidence that the 

 vegetation of the colder parts of that region is well suited to our 

 own. If Eriobotrya japonica, Ligustrum lucidum, Laurus cam- 

 phora, and some others, were unable to resist the winter, probably in 



