Complimentary 
NEW SERIES VOL. V NO. I 
ARNOLD ARBORETUM 
HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
BULLETIN 
OF 
POPULAR INFORMATION 
JAMAICA PLAIN, MASS._MAY 1, 1919 
The winter of 1918-19 was as exceptional in its mildness as the pre¬ 
vious winter was exceptional in its severity. The thermometer only 
once registered zero at the Arboretum, and although little snow fell 
the ground was at no time frozen to any great depth. No injury has 
apparently been done by the winter to any plant in the Arboretum, 
but it is interesting to note that the leaves of the eastern American 
Yew (Taxus canadensis) growing in a position fully exposed to the sun 
are browner this spring than they were a year ago. The mild winter 
had, too, a curious effect on the winter flowering Witch Hazels. 
The American species (Hamamelis vernalis) flowered as usual at the 
end of December and in early January, but the Japanese and Chinese 
species did not open their flower buds until the end of February or a 
month or six weeks later than in previous years. The Chinese Witch 
Hazel ( H. mollis) has not before been so covered with flowers; and as 
the plants grow larger the value of this beautiful shrub for the decor¬ 
ation of the winter garden is more clearly shown. The flowers of no 
other Witch Hazel are so large and beautiful, and the handsome leaves 
turn to brilliant shades of yellow and orange before falling in Novem¬ 
ber. This plant is still rare in American gardens and probably is not 
to be found in American nurseries. Seeds have not yet been produced 
in the Arboretum, and it is only by grafting it on the American species 
that the Chinese plant can be now increased. 
In spite of the mild weather in February and March vegetation in 
the Arboretum was not unusually advanced on the first of April. The 
Leatherwood (Dirca palustris ) opened its flowers on the 6th of April, 
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