358 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE EFFECT OF THE FEOSTS OF THE WTNTEE OF 

 1908-9 ON VEGETATION. 



Compiled by F. J. Chittenden, F.L.S. | 



The winter of 1908-9 was marked, particularly in the south-east of 

 England, by two spells of severe weather, which, though of short' 

 duration, did a considerable amount of damage, particularly to woody 

 plants, even such hardy natives as furze and broom suffering severely 

 in some places. i 



The hardiness of shrubs and trees in our climate is always of interest, | 

 and particularly at the present time, when the value of shrubs in garden \ 

 decoration is becoming more and more recognized, and numbers of new, ! 

 beautiful, and untried plants are coming to us from inland China and 

 Tibet, as well as from other parts of the world. 



Eecords"^ of the behaviour of introduced plants towards low tempera- 

 tures in this country are, for the most part, scattered in periodical 

 literature, and are too often of little use because the temperatures are 

 not given, or, when given, the manner of obtaining the temperature 

 values is not recorded, and other conditions which influence the 

 behaviour of the plants are not noted at all. 



It was therefore suggested by the Scientific Committee of our 

 Society that records of the damage done by these winter frosts should 1 

 be collected, and to this end the following letter, schedule of questions,! 

 and forms were drawn up and circulated: — ■ \ 



Royal Horticultural Society's Laboratory, 



Wisley, Ripley, Surrey. 



April 1909. 



Dear Sir, — In view of the great severity of the weather in the past 

 winter (1908-9) in certain parts of the country and the large number of 

 new plants recently introduced to our gardens, it is desirable to collect 

 all available information concerning the damage done by frost in order 

 that it may be made public in the Eoyal Horticultural Society 's Journal. 



Will you, therefore, be so good as to fill in the forms sent herewith 

 and return them to me at your convenience? Additional forms will he\ 

 sent with pleasure if required. I 



No doubt the extent of the damage done will not be apparent until| 

 the middle or end of May, but may we be allowed to suggest that notes 



* Attention may be drawn to the reports on this subject published in the 

 Journal of the Society from time to time, and especially to the masterly report 

 on the winter of 1837-8 by Dr. John Lindley, F.R.S., in Traiis. Eort. Soc. 2nd 

 series, vol. ii. (1835-1841), pp. 225-715, and the "Frost Report," by Rev. George 

 Henslow, M.A., F.L.S., V.M.H., forming vol. viii. (1887) of the Journal of the 

 B.U. Socief}/. See also Kew Bulletin, 1896, p. 5. 



