JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
April 5, 1883. 
from insects, particularly mealy bug, which has a great liking for 
it. Little pruning is requisite, except to remove the old bare or 
weakly shoots. 
The flowers, though small, are borne in such dense racemes that 
their size individually is scarcely noticeable. The petals, keel, 
and standard are bright rich blue, the last-mentioned portion of 
the flower having a ring of white at the base, which renders by 
contrast the blue colour even more intense. The racemes vary 
from 4 to G or 8 inches long, but they do not often reach the 
largest size, except in old established plants, and youDg specimens 
are sometimes rather shy in flowering. 
Hardenbergia Comptoniana is a native of Australia, and was 
introduced to this country early in the present century. The 
woodcut (fig. 69) represents a spray from an established plant, and 
well shows the chief characters both of flowers and foliage. 
NOTES FROM NORTH DURHAM. 
The month of March came in like the proverbial lamb, but 
ODly retained its lamb-like character for a few days. On the 5th 
we had in this district one of the heaviest gales and most severe 
snowstorms of modern times ; indeed, that much-talked-of, but 
seldom seen, authority, “ the oldest inhabitant ” of our local 
fishing villages and ports, did not remember having seen such 
Fig. 69. - -Hardexbeiigia Comptoxiana. 
weather in March. The snow drifted to such a depth that roads 
were rendered impassable, and remained so for some days in spite 
of the efforts of the local Highway Board. Every night we had 
from 8° to 20° of frost, and this continued until the 17th inst., 
when the snow ceased falling and the frost became less intense, 
though by no means altogether gone. The bright sunny days 
rapidly melted the mass of snow, except where it was drifted, and 
from where I write I can still see huge wreaths of snow lying on 
the headlands behind the hedges. After the snow went the frost 
returned again in all its “ unmitigated barbarity,” and the result 
has been a complete massacre of the innocent-. To use a localism, 
everything has “ gone by the board.” Since the 20th I have been 
confined to the house, and am only now able to look out of the 
window ; but that is quite sufficient to justify me in believing all 
the woeful tales that have been daily brought in. Thousands of 
Wallflowers, or rather the skeletons of what were once Wall¬ 
flowers, are seen in all directions. Evergreens look as if 
they had been singed by fire, particularly the common Laurel 
and Ivy ; Laurustinus that were in bloom a month ago are now 
much injured. The tender bloom buds of Ribes are seriously 
damaged, and will not be so good as usual. Quantities of Myosotis 
have died, and even Pansies and Daisies have not escaped scot 
