l^fjoDotientiron ^ocietp ^otesf, 
The effects of last winter and spring were not, on the whole, as disastrous 
as we were led to think would be the case when we were suffering from the long 
spell of cold weather that marked the season 1916-17. Many plants which I 
thought were badly injured at Rostrevor revived, and in one instance, I observed 
that proustia pyrifolia, which was cut down to the ground and which at one 
time appeared to be killed, made a rapid recovery and grew more luxuriantly 
in the past summer than it had ever done in previous years. The losses among 
the Rhododendrons here were confined to R. ciliicalyx (whose hardiness in 
really severe weather appears doubtful), and R oxyphyllum ; but the latter 
was a small specimen and it ought to have been in a frame until it was larger and 
better able to resist the cold. All other Rhododendrons were unhurt, including 
Dalhousi^, Edgeworthii, eximium, Griffithianum, lanatum, Maddenii 
(and its varieties calophyllum and Jenkinsii), yunnanense, etc. I had no 
specimen of R. Nuttallii outside It would be interesting to know how it, as 
well as R. Boothii and Champions fared in the open last winter, and whether 
these three species flourish an 3 w^fhere in the United Kingdom with or without 
wall protection. 
There was a good deal of fruit last autumn, more so than in normal years. I 
was interested in seeing for the first time the small bright berries of the Japanese 
deciduous Holly, Ilex, Sieboldi and its variety fructu albo. The autumn 
colouring moreover seemed peculiarly brilliant, finer and better than in former 
seasons. 
Up to the present the winter has also been severe, and we have had much more 
frost than we usually get. On one occasion this month the thermometer sank 
to between 16° and 17° F., which is the lowest reading I can remember 
at Rostrevor for many years. But, except for one day just before Christmas 
during which we were visited by a blizzard, the cold was dry and windless, and 
the damage done does not appear to be as great as was the case twelve months 
ago. 
JOHN ROSS OF BLADFNSBURG. 
2ith January, 1918. 
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