March 25, 1888. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
237 
when the thermometer registered 23° ; in January, 22°, on the 7th ; in 
February, 18°, on the 9th ; whilst the readings every morning for the 
present month are as follows 1st, 1° ; 2nd, 4° ; 3rd, 4° ; 4th, 20° ; 5th, 
7° ; Gih, 13° ; 7th, 22° : 8th, 8° ; 9th, 7° ; 10th, 12° ; 11th, 16° ; 12th, 
14° ; 13th, 13° ; 14th, 11° ; 15*, 13° ; 16th, 9° ; 17th, 1G° ; after which a 
thaw set in, accompanied with rain, with every prospect of milder 
weather.—W. G. Pragnell, The Gardens, Sherborne Castle. 
DURHAM. 
In the county of Durham snow has fallen to the depth of several feet, 
the roads being entirely blocked, and that cutting and carting has had to 
take the place of the snow plough owing to the depth of the snow, and the 
latter was unworkable. Shrubs were crushed to the ground and partially 
broken. “ On our cold damp ground vegetables are a perfect wreck, and 
at the present time are all under snow. Broccoli suffered from frost 
before the deep snow fell, and is now decaying or rotting away. Celery 
is in the same position, and Brussels Sprouts little better. The snow is still 
a foot deep over the garden, and the worst results are not seen. It is now 
snowing while writing, a heavy wet 6now falling fast, with a north-east 
wind. Our frost, although not so severe as in 1879,1880, and 1881, has been 
of a long duration, ranging from 5° to 23° of frost on most nights, and. has done 
more harm to vegetables by its being accompanied by rain or snow than 
it otherwise would have done, outdoor work being at a standstill; seed-sow¬ 
ing, &c., is being carried out under glass.—J. Hunter, Lafnbton Castle 
Gardens. 
FLINTSHIRE. 
The early part of the winter was not unusually severe with us, 16° of 
fr03t being the most registered; but we have had very severe weather 
since the end of February, and on the 1st of March a fall of 8 inches of 
snow accompanied by a high wind drifted it in some places to a depth of 
6 feet. On the 7th the thermometer registered 22° of frost. As far as I 
can judge at present vegetation has not suffered much. I think the snow 
has protected it to a great extent.—J ohn Forsyth, Haivarden Castle 
Gardens, Chester. 
GLOUCESTERSHIRE. 
The winter from the commencement of the present year has been 
severe and protracted, with but few days of anything like mildness. On 
the 6th of January we had a heavy fall of snow, and on the night of the 
7th 22° of frost. On the 26th another heavy fall of snow took place, fol¬ 
lowed in a few days by cold rains. During Febrnary no rainfall occurred ; 
cold easterly winds prevailed with keen frost. On the 1st of March we 
had a deep snow, much of which still remains (March 18th) on the north 
side of walls, roofs, and hedges. We had 20° of frost on the night of the 
7th, and it has been severe and keen ever since. The effects of this upon 
vegetation is disastrous. Broccolis, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage plants, &c., 
seem as if a fire had passed over them they present such a scorched and 
withered appearance ; even Leeks, usually so hardy, seem almost in as 
bad a plight. A direct consequence, no doubt, will be a great scarcity of 
green food for a considerable time to come.—W illiam Nash, Badminton 
Gardens, Chippenham. 
HEREFORDSHIRE. 
The winter of 1885-86 must rank as the most severe of late years. 
On the 16th March snow was lying which fell fifteen days before, and 
more seems threatening. The frost which killed all bedding plants, &c., 
in September was the harbinger of a winter of unusual length. The 
autumn flowers were robbed of their beauty, and nipping frosts and 
piercing winds now retard the appearance of spring flowers. In 1884 the 
shrubberies, &c., here were a mass of Primroses, and Crocuses, Snowdrops, 
Hepaticas, and other spring flowers were in full beauty early in February, 
while now everything is nipped. The fruit trees remain quite dormant 
as yet, and vegetables as represented by the Brassicas are much injured. 
The drought of last summer prevented their making much growth theD, 
and the frosts of spring have withered those that have struggled through 
the winter.—C harles Denning, Holme Lacy Gardens, Hereford. 
HERTFORDSHIRE. 
We have had almost continuous sharp frost and snow since the 6th of 
January. The greatest number of degrees of frost have been—on January 
7th, 15° ; January 8th, 22° ; January 9th, 12° ; January 19th, 14° ; and 
20th, 14°. The greatest number in February 6th, 12° ; February 7th, 12°; 
February 8th, 13°; February 9th, 18° ; February 10th, 18° ; and February 
24th, 12° ; and March 4th, 12° ; March 7th, 16° ; March 8th, 13° ; and 
March 9th, 12°. So far this year we have had only seven nights without 
frost; the last was on the 14th February. The frost is deeper in the 
ground at this time than it has been any time this winter. 
We had a heavy fall of snow on 6th January, about 8 inches ; alto¬ 
gether we have had about 16 inches. 
The January rainfall with the snow was 3 inch, 30° ; February rain¬ 
fall with the snow was only 60° ; March rainfall with the snow to this 
date 20°, which was a snowstorm on the 1st. The ground has not been 
quite free from snow since the 6th of January ; neither has a lake here 
been quite free from ice since the same date. Vegetables have suffered 
very much, Broccoli mostly killed, and I am afraid autumn-planted 
Cabbages are the same. Spring bedding has suffered very much too ; 
trees and shrubs have stood the frost well. They were well ripened in the 
autumn. Fruit trees are in a backward state. All kinds promise well ex¬ 
cept Pears.— G. Norman, The Gardens, Hatfield House, Herts. 
HUNTINGDONSHIRE. 
The winter has been unusually prolonged this year, and at the present 
time vegetation is no more forward than is often the case in the middle of 
January. Although 15° of frost is the most that has been recorded, yet 
the temperature the last three months has averaged unusually low, stand¬ 
ing at, or a little below, a few degrees of frost day after day. This week 
there has been at least 6 inches of snowfall. The majority of trees and 
shrubs look uninjured. Coniferae seem all right, likewise fruit trees, but 
until a general thaw and change of weather sets in, it is not possible to 
tell what mischief may be done to rockery and herbaceous plants. Vege¬ 
tables are getting scarce, and many hundreds of Endive and Lettuce have 
been spoiled by the alternate frosts and thaws. Broccoli look safe, but 
are smaller than usual. The reason of that is the previous summer being 
so hot and dry at planting time, and for some time afterwards.— 
A. Harding, Orton Hall Gardens, Hunts. 
KENT. 
The following is an extract from weather observations kept in these 
gardens from October, 1885, to the present time, March 17th, 1886. In 
October we had fifteen fine days. On sixteen days we had very change¬ 
able weather, rough wind, fogs, rain and sleet. Highest temperature 
during the month, on the 2nd, 50°; coldest night was the llth-12th, 
the glass went down to 23°. Frost on twelve nights during the month. 
Total of frost for the month, 37°. On the morning of the 24th we regis¬ 
tered 1'40 inch of rain. Raining the whole of the day on 23rd, and very 
heavy rain at night, the greatest rainfall for any twenty-four hours in the 
year 1885. Total rainfall for October, 4 - 34 inch. 
During November, 1885, we had ten fine days, nine foggy days, 
variable weather other days of the month. Very rough on the night of 
the 27th. Highest temperature on any day during the month was 54°, 
29th ; coldest night, 17th, the glass went down to 21°. During the 
month there was 84° of frost. The glass went below 32° on fourteen 
nights. Rain fell more or less on fifteen days. Total rainfall for the 
month, 2 70 inch. 
December, 1885.—Number of fine days for the month, seventeen. 
Foggy, more or less, on twelve days, two very foggy. Very little sun 
during the month. Snow on the 27th and 29th. Very rough wind and 
rain storm on the evening of the 28th. Highest temperature on any day 
during the month, 48° on the 2nd ; coldest night the 10th, the glass went 
down to 15°. The glass went below 32° on twenty-one nights. Total of 
frost for the month, 151°. Rain for the month, 1'04 inch. 
January, 1886.—Fine days during the month, fifteen. Heavy fall of 
snow on the 5th, little snow on the 6th, 10th, 12th, 20th, and 22nd, and 
very rough wind and rain on the night of the 16th. A very rough month 
of weather. Highest temperature on any day was 48° on the 2nd ; 
co'dest night the 7th, when the glass went down to 12°. Number of 
frosty nights for the month, twenty-nine. Degrees of frost during the 
month, 215. Rainfall and melted snow for January, 1-54 inch. 
February, 1886.— Old men working here say this has been the 
coldest February known in Kent since 1856. Nine fine days, very little 
sun ; a month of cold, snow, sleet, hailstorms, and dense fogs. The 
highest temperature on any day during the month, 39° on the 2nd ; 
coldest night was the 8th, when the glass went down to 15°. The only 
two nights without frost were the 14th and 15th, when the glass stood 
at 32°. Total of frost for the month, 175°. A very dry month, rainfall 
only 0 54 inch. 
March, up to 17th.—Eight fine days, with bright sun, but very dry ; 
rain very much wanted; we get a little sleet and snow and foggy 
mornings; the ground at the present time frozen as hard as a stone, 
general outside work at a standstill. It will be seen by the foregoing 
remarks vegetation is worse than at a standstill; everything outside 
getting less and less, Brussels Sprouts, Curled Greens, and I would like 
to say, Chou de Burghley, but it was all used last week. I must say 
one word in favour of the last-named vegetable. What I grew of it stood 
the winter well, and is an excellent vegetable eaten as a Cabbage last 
month. Veitch’s Model Broccoli is standing the winter best; of Cabbage 
Ellam’s Dwarf Early. The following is a total of frost registered here 
during February from 1879. February, 1879, total of frost for the month, 
45°; 1880, 67°; 1881, 70°; 1882, 46°; 1883, 21°; 1884,31°; 1885, 78°; 
1886, 175°.—C. Davies, Moat Park Gardens, Maidstone. 
MIDDLESEX. 
This has been the longest and most trying winter I ever experienced 
not that the frosts have been so intense as in some winters, but they have 
been more continuous. Up to the time the snow left us about the middle 
of February vegetation did not seem to be unusually cut, but since then 
the bitterly cold and drying east winds and the long-continued frosts have 
cut things up most severely. There is not a green crop that has not 
suffered, and some of them are killed.—J. Woodbridge, Syon. 
NORTHUMBERLAND. 
This winter will be remembered for the quantity of snow which has 
fallen, and the time which it has covered the surface of the country 
From January 5th to this 16th day of March, snow has fallen on thirty 
days, and during that period the country has been covered with snow, 
with the exception of fourteen to sixteen days. 
On March the 1st and 2nd the climax was reached, when it snowed 
incessantly more than fifty hours, with a heavy gale of east wind, which 
caused immense drifts, blocking all roads and railways and snowing up 
several trains from two to thre£ days. Much of this still remains on the 
surface, and yet it comes as though we had had none, and the atmosphere 
is charged with snow, with no signs of abating except that the barometer 
is falling. 
The frost has not been very severe in this neighbourhood (thtee miles 
