OBSERVEB IN HERTFOaDSHIRE IN 1905. 83 



the previous nineteeu years. March was very wet, and during 

 April small amounts of rain fell at frequent intervals, but for 

 four weeks in May there was scarcely a drop of rain. Taking 

 the quarter as a whole the record of bright sunshine was about 

 seasonable. 



The continued wet weather in the middle of March brought 

 the sowing of spring corn to a standstill, and although it was 

 resumed at the end of that month the ground was never 

 afterwards in as good condition as it had previously been. In 

 May the planting of mangolds, swedes, turnips, and potatoes was 

 carried out in a dry seed-bed. The grass in the meadows and 

 pastures which promised so well during the early part of the 

 season received a severe check in May owing to the cold nights 

 and long drought. So that before the end of the spring the 

 previous prospect of an abundant yield of hay was at an end. 

 Notwithstanding the heavy rainfall in March and the long 

 period of dry weather in May, the autumn-sown corn, and 

 particularly the wheat, still continued to make satisfactory 

 progress, but these adverse conditions proved trying to the late- 

 sown spring corn, which had not been as well sown and had as 

 yet obtained but imperfect root-hold of the ground. The early 

 potatoes were in many places cut down by frost, and particularly 

 was this the case where they happened to be growing in low- 

 lying situations. 



In the garden tliis proved almost as trying a spring as on the 

 farm, owing to the saturated state of the ground in March, the 

 frequent falls of rain in April, and the long spell of dry weather 

 in May. The fruit-tree blossom on the apples, pears, and 

 plums was abundant, but nearly the whole of it was destroyed 

 hy the keen frosts of the 22nd and 23rd of May. 



In order to give some idea as to the dryness of the soil in the 

 last month of the season, I may state that no measurable 

 quantity of rain-water came through my bare soil percolation 

 gauge during the twenty -three days ending May 29th. 



Our observer at Harpenden states that on May 22nd a little 

 snow and hail fell, which were followed at night hy a severe 

 frost which cut down potato haulms. On the same night much 

 damage is reported to have been done by frost at Hertford. 



Taking the county as a whole, the coltsfoot was one day late, 

 and the wood-anemone nine days late, whereas the blackthorn, 

 garlic hedge-mustard, and horse-chestnut were each two days 

 early, and the hawthorn three days early. On the other hand, 

 the white ox-eye was seven days late. 



The spring migrants arrived, as a rule, slightly behind their 

 average dates, the swallow and cuckoo being each one day late, 

 the nightingale three days late, and the flycatcher thirteen 

 days late. 



The wasp made its appearance sixteen days early, the small 

 white butterfly eighteen days late, and the orange-tip butterfly 

 nine days late. 



