102 E. MAWXEY — PnENOLOGICAL PHENOMENA. 



that by Midsummer-day — that is to say, only a week after the 

 drought came to an end — ten gallons of water had passed through 

 the gauge containing heavy soil, and 8^ gallons through the light- 

 soil gauge. Both gauges are a yard square. 



Owing to the continued dry weather the grass made scarcely 

 any growth. Consequently the crop of hay proved extremely 

 light, but, where cut in good time, of excellent quality. Both 

 on the farms and in the gardens, seeds of all kinds in many cases 

 failed to germinate. The pastures became very dry and bare, 

 and the wheat and other cereals made, as a rule, but little progress. 

 As is usual under such conditions, crops growing on deep and 

 retentive soils fared much better than those on light and shallow 

 ones. The effect of the heavy rains which set in shortly after 

 the middle of July, was almost immediately apparent on the grass 

 lands, which were soon clothed with luxuriant herbage, while 

 the turnips and swedes were also greatly benefited. But the 

 change unfortunately came too late for the corn, although even 

 here some good was also done. The harvest began early, but was 

 frequently inteiTupted by rain. 



Mr. Willis states that at Harpenden "the first ear of wheat 

 was fully out on June 8th." The frost which occurred on the 

 night of June 14th ''injured scarlet-runners and potatoes in places 

 at Odsey." Much of the young bracken was also killed on Berk- 

 ham sted Common. From two districts reports were received of 

 the foliage of trees being injured by caterpillars. Mr. T. Brown 

 writes that great damage was done in the neighbourhood of Hitchin 

 by caterpillars in some of the woods, " Oak, hornbeam, and hazel 

 were chiefly attacked, while beech is almost uninjured. Some of 

 the oaks are as bare as in midwinter." Miss Warner states that 

 " the hornbeams on Broxbourne Common were nearly bare, and 

 quite brown instead of green, in consequence of the frost." 



All the plants on the list which flowered during the summer 

 were in advance of their average dates, the dog-rose being two days 

 early, black knapweed and harebell five days early, and the greater 

 bindweed seven days early. 



The Atjttjmn. 



Both September and November were unusually warm. On the 

 other hand, during the greater part of October the temperature 

 remained low. There was but little rain in the early part of the 

 season, but November proved exceptionally wet. The record 

 of bright sunshine in September was singularly good. 



Harvest operations were greatly hindered by the stormy weather 

 in Aiigust, and mnch of the corn was in consequence gathered in 

 in a more or less unsatisfactory condition. The yield of all the 

 cereals was, moreover, very poor, being lighter than in any recent 

 year with the exception of 1893. In fact, the only satisfactory 

 farm-crop was that of potatoes, which proved abundant. The 

 grass grew rapidly during the rainy period of July and August, 



