88 E. MAWLEY PHENOLOGICAL PHENOMENA, 1905. 



mildewed, and in many cases had to be resown. The heavy 

 rains of June s^ave all the root crops a good start, but they 

 afterwards recei't^ed a considerable check owing to the July 

 drought. '- Then, towards the end of August and throughout 

 September, came the climatic influences just suited to their 

 requirements, and it was truly astonishing how rapidly botli 

 mangolds and swedes responded to them. This late but rapid 

 growth, however, brought about late maturing, so that although 

 the individual roots were large, they were less satisfactorily 

 ripened than usual. 



According to the returns of farm produce in Hertfordshire, 

 published by the Board of Agriculture, the yield of wheat was 

 4j per cent, above the average for the previous ten years, barley 

 2 per cent, above, oats 3 per cent, above, beans 16 per cent, above, 

 peas 11 per cent, above, turnips 16 per cent, above, mangolds 

 14 per cent, above, and hay (clover, etc.) 8 per cent, above, while 

 potatoes were an average crop, and hay (permanent pasture) 

 1 per cent, below the average for the same ten years. It mil 

 thus be seen that of all the farm crops there was only one in 

 which the yield was in any way below avei'age. 



The fruit crops, according to the returns sent in to the 

 ' Gardeners' Chronicle,' on the other hand, were, taking the 

 county as a whole, remarkably poor, the yield of apples and 

 plums being very small, those of pears and strawberries rather 

 better but still under average, while the crops of raspberries, 

 currants, and gooseberries were, if anything, rather in excess of 

 their respective averages. 



The last plant on the list, the ivy, taking the county as 

 a whole, came into flower eight days in advance of its 

 usual time. 



The swallow took its departure four days later than its mean 

 date for the previous fourteen years. 



Trans. HertforJ shire Nat. Hist. Soc, Vol. XIII, Fart 1, Fcbruar?/, 1907. 



