432 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
May 31,1894. 
from sheltered borders out of doors. Early Peas are podding, and so far 
all garden and fruit crops look well, and have escaped the disastrous 
frosts experienced in other parts of the country, as reported in the 
Journal of IForticulture. The first blooms of Sweet Peas, Shirley 
Poppies, and common white Pinks are just expanding in the open 
borders.—C. Oechaed, Bemhridge, Isle of Wight,. 
“ Few people perhaps remember such a destructive and disastrous 
May frost as that which occurred on the 21st of May in this year of 
grace. Following upon a week of abnormally cold weather, we had a 
slight frost on Saturday night and Sunday morning, but it was left to 
the night of the latter day, and yesterday, to complete the work of 
destruction. A frost of any sort in May is always dangerous, and often 
destructive ; but when it comes to 10° of frost—or 22° Fahrenheit scale 
—then, indeed, is the disaster complete, and the hopes of the year 
absolutely and entirely destroyed. 
“ The morning of the 2l3t broke bright and sunny after the overnight 
frost, and disclosed a sorrowful sight. Ice a quarter of an inch in 
thickness was plentiful, and on the north side of walls and buildings the 
ground remained frost-bound far into the forenoon. In most gardens, 
and in many fields. Potatoes were well above the ground ; by noon 
there was nothing but the blackened remains of the haulms above 
the ground level, so effectually are they killed down. Seeding Turnips, 
instead of being green, are turned to a sickly purple hue. According 
to Mr. W. Thompson, the thermometer at the Deanery Gardens registered 
10° of frost.” 
The above cutting from the “Newcastle Daily Chronicle,” will give 
you an idea of what the weather has been in the north. We registered 
5° of frost here this morning, but our garden is sheltered.—W. A. 
Jenkins, Aldine Grange Gardens, Durham. 
In this district on the 20th and 2l8t we registered 8° and 6° of frost, 
and much damage has been done. Some persons have suffered far 
more than others. Potatoes, Dwarf, Runner, and even Broad Beans 
have been cut down. Happily we had not commenced bedding out.— 
G. Fxjlfokd, Trafalgar, Salisbury. 
In this district, near to the Solent, the cold north-east winds have 
been injurious to vegetation. Owing, no doubt, to tte dry position of 
these gardens Potatoes, Runner and Dwarf Beans, Stiasvberry bloom, 
and exposed bedding plants have not suffered in the least from the 
recent severe frosts which have been general in nearly all parts of the 
country. In some of the cottage gardens near here, however. Potatoes 
have been cut down, and much harm done. Apple blossom was plentiful, 
but much of it abortive, the caterpillar being most troublesome. Many Oak 
trees in the woods are badly infested, the young leaves on some branches 
being entirely eaten.— G. Garner, Cadland Parh, Southampton. 
The recent frosty nights have severely cut the Potato crops in the 
part of Devon lying between Exmoor and Dartmoor, but they do not 
seem to have done much injury to the Apple trees. Among some of the 
old villagers the night of the 2l8t goes by the name of “ Frankincense 
night.” The story, says the “ Western Daily Mercury,” runs that an 
old man named “ Frankincense ” prayed for three nights running at 
this period of May for frost in order to diminish the crop of cider Apples 
in the interests of temperance. The consequence is seen in annual 
frosts (so it is imagined) at this time of year, after which they are 
supposed to disappear until summer is past. 
In this neighbourhood crops have received a very severe check on 
the night of Sunday the 20th, and also on the night of the 2l9t. We 
had from 8° to 10° on the former, and 6° on the latter, and coming so 
suddenly after such a mild favourable spring it has played great havoc. 
Potatoes are all killed to the ground, French Beans and Scarlet Runners 
likewise. Fruit crops, which, with the exception of Apples, were most 
promising, are injured very badly. Pears were frozen through. All 
blooms of hardy Azaleas and Rhododendrons were blackened, also 
many of the young shoots ; in fact, such a severe frost so late cannot be 
remembered by anyone here.—R. C. Williams, Crosswood, Aberystwith. 
As some of your readers may like to compare no'es of the results of 
the frost on Sunday night, the 20th inst., and Monday morning, I send 
a few particulars. In south-east Somerset I find the frost itself was 
from 7° to 10°, but it was accompanied with a cutting north-east 
wind. I have known several severe frosts in May and June during the 
last thirty years in this neighbourhood, but have not known one so 
disastrous, and attended with such serious results, as the one last week. 
The most mysterious thing is that these early and late severe frosts 
generally come on a Saturday or Sunday night. 
The following is a summary of the result of the frost Walnut trees 
cut fearfully, also Planes, Oak, and Ash, from seedlings up to 12 and 
15 feet. Beech (Copper), and some other hardy trees are injured more 
or less. Of hardy scrubs, the following have the new growth entirely 
destroyed :—Ab'es Nordmanniana ; Yews, both English and Golden ; 
Aucuha japonica; Osmanthus ; Laurels, common, Caucasian, and 
rotundifolia, als i the Portugal. Fruit appears very much injured, 
especially Gooseberries. I fear Apples and Pears will also suffer very 
much. Of course Potatoes, French Beans, and Marrow, where above 
ground, are in many places quite destroyed.—B. R. D., Yeovil. 
For the last few days a fierce north-east wind has been blowing at 
intervals, with some sleet and snow, and on Monday night the ther¬ 
mometer dropped two degrees below “ the freezing point,” with most 
lamentable results to the early Potato crop in exposed fields and gardens. 
Around this town, on the 2l8t it was painful to see the blackened, 
charred-looking foliage that but a day before looked so healthy and 
promising. It is remarkable what a capricious climate we have. Not 
once since January has the same low temperature been reached here. 
A curious circumstance in connection with this fact has been that in 
certain places some varieties of Potatoes, as Ashleaf Kidneys, wholly 
escaped harm, while Flounders, Early Rose and Kemps, with more 
tender foliage, were badly injured. Several gardens that were sheltered, 
and which the early rays of the sun did not catch, escaped injury. 
Where the Potatoes have been badly injured the growth will be thrown 
back from a fortnight to three weeks, and the quality of the tubers is 
then never so good, as all elaboration of sap in the burned foliage has 
now ceased. My walled-in town garden has not fared so badly as others. 
I notice my new Strawberry, “Royal Sovereign” (Laxton), in full 
flower, quite healthy, has escaped injury.—W. J. Murphy, Clonm-el. 
Since Monday the 2l8t we have had frosts more or less varying 
from 2° to 8°, with very cold winds and dull weather. Words almost 
fail to describe the havoc caused by the frost. Acres of Potatoes are 
laid level with the ground, one farmer a short distance from here having 
lost a crop which he valued at £1000. Shrubs which had been pruned 
in and have made 2 or 3 inches of growth are quite blackened. In 
some places Currants and Gooseberries look as if they had been boiled, 
the ground underneath the trees being literally strewn with such fruit. 
All the early Strawberry blooms are quite destroyed, as are also Dwarf 
and Runner Beans. The oldest inhabitants in this neighbourhood say 
that they cannot remember a more destructive May frost.—R. P. R., 
Liverpool, __ 
We registered 12° of frost on the nights of the 20th and 21st. The 
Oak, Ash. and Birch foliage is ruined, as also is the Strawberry crop.— 
J. M., Macclesfield. 
The amount of frost on the morning of the 2l8t and the effects it 
has produced in this district (Mid-Sussex) are extremely variable. 
Although only 2° of frost were registered on our shade thermometer, 
but there must have been from 4° to 6° on the grass. There was ice as 
thick as a sixpence. The five days, 13th to 17th inclusive, were fine and 
warm, the mean temperature being 59 1°. The five following days, 
18th to 22nd inclusive, the mean temperature was 47‘3°, a difference of 
11‘8°. The record of temperature gives but a very faint idea of the 
effect produced. Potatoes 9 inches high were cut down to the ground 
where exposed to the north-east wind. The young growths of Ash, Oak, 
Holly, common and Portugal Laurels in exposed places are all blackened 
as if scorched with a red-hot iron. 
In one market garden where a good breadth of Gooseberries is grown 
without, top fruit I hear the fruit can be gathered under the bushes 
in bushels, while where there is top fruit they are comparatively un¬ 
injured. In walled, well sheltered gardens in fairly high positions but 
little damage has been done, leading to the conclusion that it was the 
bitter cold north-east wind that continued for nearly a week after that 
did the damage more than the frost. Monday was much warmer, with 
some welcome showers from the south-west.—R. I. 
Lessons from the Recent Frosts. 
The indomitable energy of the British race has frequently been 
attributed in a large degree to the quickening influence of our variable 
climate. If this is so, we must indeed consider it a wise provision of 
Providence, for at times like the present, when we see devastation so 
painfully apparent among our field and garden crops, those who are 
engaged in either commercial or private gardening require all the 
unflinching courage and determination accredited to the inhabitants of 
our island home to enable them to face their present difficulties, and to 
press onward in spite of disheartening reverses. 
Market gardeners have perhaps suffered more from the recent frosts 
than any other class, especially those persons who are enterprising 
enough to endeavour to be the first in the market with their crops, 
because they know that it is frequently the only way to secure a really 
remunerative return for them. In their case there is great temptation, 
especially during a season like the present, to sow and plant their crops 
at dates too early to be safe, but they know that something must be 
risked in order to “ keep ahead,” and when a “ lucky hit ” happens to be 
made it to a great extent compensates for occasional losses. Still, it is 
necessary to exercise great judgment in the matter, and when such 
tender crops as Potatoes are planted early sheltered positions ought, if 
possible, to be selected for them, or failing this, some kind of protecting 
material placed in readiness for the advent of frosts, which are seldom 
severe enough to do serious damage when no previous warning is given. 
The recent frosts were no exception in this respect, as the wind bad for 
several days been in a very cold quarter, and severe weather was 
expected and provided against by many, who fortunately preserved 
valuable crops by placing a little rough strawy material over the tops 
of Potatoes and French Beans wherever they were growing in expos^ 
positions. Where these crops are growing under the shelter of walls 
they have generally escaped uninjured even when left unprotected ; in 
fact, I have not yet met with any crops to which serious injury has been 
