484 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
March 30, 1895. 
and circumstances should be taken into 
consideration by those who make records of 
the destruction caused amongst plants by 
the frost. The mild character of the 
weather up to the end of the year kept most 
kinds of vegetation in a state of activity 
and therefore in a dangerous condition for 
the resisting of severe frost. 1 he dry 
state of the atmosphere that prevailed 
almost continually throughout the severe 
weather had the effect however of greatly 
mitigating the evil effects that must other¬ 
wise have ensued. Evergreen trees and 
shrubs, but particularly the latter, have 
suffered most seriously, including the 
Cherry and Portugal Laurels, Enonymus, 
Laurustinus, and subjects of that nature. 
Amongst British plants, evergreen shrubs 
or trees are relatively few after deducting 
the Conifers, the Holly, and members of 
the Heath family. The Holly is the only 
broad-leaved one, if we except the Arbutus 
in Ireland ; and this should show that 
evergreen subjects are but ill adapted for 
our climate. Deciduous subjects are 
already budding freely, and the injury to 
that class will be found chiefly amongst 
those that were lifted and transplanted 
before the frost. 
The quantity of water present in the cells 
of a plant during frost, as well as the 
duration- and lowness of the temperature, 
must be taken into account in any discussion 
of the injury effected. A low temperature for 
a short time need not be fatal to a plant, 
but the degree varies in each specific case. 
The death of plants, or any portion of them, 
is caused by the rupturing of the tissues 
when the sap gets converted into ice. One 
of the effects of freezing is that the cell sap 
gets gradually attracted to the surface, and 
there frozen, while the protoplasm in the 
interior gets more concentrated, diminished 
in quantity, and drier so to speak. Kunisch 
made some observations on the subject, 
and he was of opinion that the lowering of 
the temperature and the consequent dis¬ 
turbance of the equilibrium of sap and 
protoplasm had the effect of bringing about 
chemical changes in the latter prejudicial 
to the well-being of the plant, independently 
of the injury caused by the rupturing of the 
tissues. The brown colour assumed by 
evergreen leaves subjected to a low 
temperature is believed to be brought 
about by changes of this kind. Ice in a 
cell does not kill it provided the protoplasm 
does not get disorganised. If the plant is 
thawed slowly, the water outside the cells 
is gradually reabsorbed, and little injury is 
caused thereby. Should the thaw be rapid 
the water is not reabsorbed, but passes into 
the intercellular spaces, and the plant, or 
those portions of it so affected, gets killed. 
The damage brought about during the past 
winter must be due therefore to the long 
duration of the frost, rather than its severity. 
Had there been an alternation of severe 
frost and rapid thawing during January 
and February, we should have had to 
deplore a greater amount of damage to 
evergreen trees and shrubs than has 
actually taken place. A specimen of 
Euonymus japonicus latifolius albus 
coming under our observation, has with¬ 
stood the frost where another succumbed 
during a recent winter of far less arctic 
severity. This was against the wall of a 
house ; but it must be noted that the plant 
killed was grown in a pot, whereas the 
other is planted in the soil. In connection 
with this subject it may be interesting to 
note the ingenious observations of Martius 
who compared each plant to a thermometer, 
its zero point being that at which it is just 
able to live. This varies with each species, 
and for the matter of that with each variety 
in some eases. As with the minimum, so 
with the maximum, for all plants get killed 
above as well as below a certain degree ; 
and the range between these points 
constitutes the range within which each 
specific plant is able to live. 
TI>epairing losses amongst shrubs.— 
u Those whose shrubberies have suffered 
greatly may be tempted to fill them up with 
the most common materials for the sake of 
having the ground covered. Too many of 
our shrubberies are already overdone with 
Cherry Laurels, Rhododendrons, and such 
things which give the whole a monotonous 
appearance, and render the same losses 
liable to occur any winter, for Cfierry 
Laurels have suffered greatly, and in some 
cases are killed wholesale. Those that are 
still alive at the base may be cut back, and 
the dead and doubtful ones grubbed up and 
conveyed to the rubbish heap. On the 
contrary the present opportunity may be 
seized upon to render several of the borders 
the brightest and most interesting places 
in the garden. This may be done with 
herbaceous plants, hardy and tender, such 
as has been amply demonstrated at Kew 
for many years past, and with great success 
in the borders by the T range of glass 
houses. Visitors are much attracted by 
this style of gardening, for the quantity of 
blossom, from the time the spring bulbs 
come into bloom till the hardiest of 
herbaceous subjects are cut down by the 
rain and frost and cutting winds of autumn, 
is very great, varied and continuous. 
Foremost amongst the subjects suitable for 
this purpose are Dahlias, in all their rich¬ 
ness of variety, show, fancy, Cactus, pom¬ 
pon and single. They may be intermixed 
with the shrubs to the great advantage of 
both, the taller varieties of Dahlia being 
placed towards the back of the border. 
The judicious arrangement of the different 
colours is not the least important matter, 
and for this purpose the gardener should 
make out a list of his varieties with their 
colours before the time for planting arrives. 
Other subjects to be planted at once are 
Hollyhocks, Sunflowers, perennial Asters, 
Antirrhinums, if ready, whether seedlings 
or rooted cuttings, also Chrysanthemums 
maximum, C. uliginosum, Gladioli, Lilies, 
Anemone japonica and its varieties, and a 
host of other showy perennials of this 
character which the gardener may possess. 
Annuals should also play a prominent part, 
including such things as Stocks, China 
Asters, Phlox Drummondii, Chrysanthe¬ 
mum coronarium, C. carinatum and their 
varieties, French and African Marigolds, 
and others too numerous to mention. The 
surplus bedding plants, or the more suit¬ 
able of them, may be planted in due time, 
including Tobaccos, Petunias, Violas, 
Verbenas, and anything that can be spared 
and will add to the display. China Roses, 
Sweet Briers, Polyantha Roses and others 
may be added at discretion. Our intention 
here is merely meant as a suggestion, and 
gardeners may carry it into effect in borders 
even close to the mansion house, without 
any fear as to the decorative effect through¬ 
out the whole length of our season. The 
borders planted in this way must not on 
any account be overhung by tall trees, 
otherwise their roots will improverish the 
soil and their tops will shade the plants 
in such a way as to spoil the effect and 
frustrate the success of the undertaking. 
- -»*».- 
Complimentary Dinner and Presentation to Mr. W. 
G. Head—On Friday evening of last week Mr. W. 
G. Head. Garden Superintendent of the Crystal 
Palace, was entertained by a few friends at a com- 
olimentary dinner at Victoria Station, and presented 
with a purse of gold in token of the regard and 
esteem in which he is held by the exhibitors and 
judges at the Crystal Palace Shows, and as a slight 
recognition of his many acts of courtesy and kind¬ 
ness. Mr. Richard Dean, who presided, in propos¬ 
ing the health of the guest of the evening, claimed 
for their honoured friend that he was a typically 
British horticulturist, inasmuch as that during his 
lengthened gardening career he had filled positions 
of trust and responsibility in England, Scotland. 
Wales, and India, and always with credit to himself 
as well as to horticulture ; while, as a man, he was 
respected by them all for his uniform courtesy and 
urbanity, and it was that they as exhibitors or judges 
at the Crystal Palace Shows might present him with 
some slight memento of the kindly regard they enter¬ 
tained for him that they had invited him to meet 
them that evening. The toast was received with 
musical honours, and Mr Head suitably acknow¬ 
ledged the compliments. 
The Haarlem Bulb Show.—The quinquennial exhibi¬ 
tion of Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissi, and other bulbous 
plants at Haarlem form one of the additional wonders 
of the world. In spite of the recent long and severe 
winter, very little damage seems to have been done 
to the bulbs, for (as we learn from a correspondent 
of the Daily Graphic) it would be impossible to have 
anything finer than the specimens now on view. 
Hyacinths with densely-packed and symmetrical 
flower-spikes from six to eight inches long, Tulips as 
large as pseonies, and, in one case at least, as black 
as jet, and practical illustrations of a bewildering 
variety of w'aysin which this class of flowers may be 
used for decorative purposes—these are just two or 
three impressions with which the visitor comes away 
from the seventeenth of these exhibitions. Ii wou’d 
not be possible, even for the most enthusiastic horti¬ 
culturist, to master the many phases of the show, for 
there are over 200 classes, and all the chief growers 
of the North of Holland have competed. The chief 
novelties of the show are the black Tulip already 
mentioned, a deep purple Arum Lily, which is more 
curious than beautiful, and an exceedingly' striking 
new double Tulip, with light pink and large globular¬ 
shaped flowers, named in honour of Lord Rosebery, 
which is certain to become popular when placed on 
the market. The only English firm to complete with 
the Dutchmen on their own ground is that of Messrs. 
R. P. Kerr and Sons, Liverpool, who receive a gold 
medal for a very choice collection of Amaryllis. 
The Terrific Gale of Sunday last is responsible for 
a vast amount of damage to trees and other property- 
all over the country, but more especially in the south 
and south-east. The effects of the gale were severely 
felt in Hyde Park, and fears were entertained at the 
local police office for the safety of pedestrians All the 
paths across the park, which are quite unprotected 
from the weather, were rendered unsafe on account 
of the terrific wind. The carriage ways were also 
impassable, and constables were deputed to warn 
drivers of the dangers attending any attempt to 
make use of the roads. All the afternoon the 
gigantic trees were blown violently to and fro. the 
branches often touching the ground. At four o’clock 
considerable consternation was caused when a 
magnificent Oak, about a hundred yards from Hyde 
Park Corner, was uprooted and hurled across the 
carriage w'ay. In its fall the tree smashed the huge 
iron rails which run all along the road. Two men 
who were clinging to the rails a few yards off, to pre¬ 
vent being blown away, narrowly escaped injury. 
Information of the disaster was at once com¬ 
municated to the park authorities, and men were set 
to work to cut off the branches of the fallen Oak. 
The hurricane blew down about 2,000 trees on the 
Sandringham estate, a large proportion being about 
twenty years old and of special interest Thirty 
yards of the garden wall, 20 ft. high, was also 
levelled, and other damage caused. It is reported 
that the destruction of trees upon the adjoining Castle 
Rising Estate is enormous, numbering 3,000: and a 
similar number are said to have been blown down 
on the Fitzwilliam Estate alone. The Marquis of 
Huntly’s “ family ’ of silver birch trees, the finest in 
England, has been completely destroyed. 
A Gardeners’ Association for Ireland —A meeting 
was recently held in Dublin for the purpose of aiding 
the gardening profession in Ireland. The Chairman, 
Mr. W. J. Watkins, said the objects of the meeting 
were to form an Association which would be a bond 
of union amongst the gardeners of Ireland. There 
was a wide-felt want for an association where 
gardeners- could be more closely got together than 
