EFFECT OF FROSTS OF WINTER OF 1 916-17 ON VEGETATION. 401 
as though they had been scorched by fire ' ; and also that ' much 
injury was done to trees and shrubs.' At the close of the month 
(March) ' all vegetation had become extraordinarily late, and with 
the exception of a few Crocuses scarcely any spring flowers were 
to be seen, whilst all garden operations had become much delayed 
by the unseasonable weather ' ; and this note expresses the general 
tenor of the remarks in the schedules, In some districts gorse was 
killed ; trees and shrubs were reported to have suffered to a greater 
extent than with any previous frost, of which a record had been kept ; 
birds, especially thrushes, were killed in large numbers ; and at Byfleet 
(Surrey) ' Globe Artichokes and clipped box were killed outright.' 
On the other hand, in the Royal Gardens at Kew, whilst ' many hardy 
plants, like gorse and Arbutus, were badly cut on the north-east side, 
they were untouched where screened from the wind.' There were 
other observers who attributed the damage wrought largely to the 
occurrence of the mild interval between the spells of severe cold, 
as well as to the effect of the wind ; and many remarks lay stress 
on the prolonged duration of the frost as the chief cause of the damage 
done. 
" It remains to be said that the wintry weather continued well 
on into April. It therefore covered the exceptionally long period 
of nearly five months, during the whole of which, with a few brief 
intervals, it was generally cold, and often extremely so, and very 
boisterous and disturbed with keen, biting winds. 
" In April the temperature over some parts of Scotland again 
fell to below io° Fahr., and in all other parts of the kingdom to the 
neighbourhood of 20 0 Fahr. — generally a little below that point, 
and nowhere much above it ; and there appears good reason for the 
verdict that all over the kingdom it was the coldest April on record. 
Quite in the south of England, at lsleworth, it was described as ' the 
coldest April for twenty-seven years, and to have had the heaviest 
snowfall for that month in thirty-four years.' At Totland Bay, 
Isle of Wight, it was the ' lowest April mean temperature for thirty- 
one years,' &c. At the beginning of the month at quite a number 
of places, in Ireland as well as in England and Scotland, the ther- 
mometer did not rise to 30 0 Fahr. at the warmest part of the day ; and 
frosts, more or less severe, occurred every night. But before the 
close of the month conditions had become greatly improved, and 
at the commencement of the fourth week maximum temperatures of 
6o° and upwards were again generally recorded all over the kingdom, 
and once more climatic conditions had become normal." 
>Jc jfc >J% s|c i|5 3|s 
The following is a list of the localities from which reports and 
lists were received, with some particulars concerning their situation 
and, where available, the minimum temperature recorded. 
The portion of each address given in small capitals is the form 
in which reference is made to that locality in the general list of 
plants. 
