NATTJEALISt's calendar for MID-HERTS. 77 



seven years, showing pretty plainly that the second period was the 

 colder of the two. 



It is somewhat remarkable to find so great a difference in the 

 time of blooming of our wild flowers in Mid -Herts compared with 

 those of ISouth-wcst Herts, the former being almost invariably 

 later, althongli the general character of the soil and subsoil is very 

 similar. Taking the whole of the comparable observations, the 

 results show 49 species later in their time of blooming in Mid- 

 Herts than in South-west Herts, while only 14 species give an 

 earlier record. 



It has long been observed that nature in her operations is so 

 uniform that the coming forth of the insects from their winter's 

 sleep, the return of the birds, and the periods in which certain 

 plants and trees unfold their leaves and flowers, afford an unerring 

 indication of the arrival of spring. It was even a pleasant 

 fancy of Linnaeus which supposed that the different hours of the 

 daytime could be denoted and ascertained by the opening and 

 closing of certain flowers — making thus a floral clock. 



Harold Burch, in his ingenious dissertation on the "Foliation of 

 Trees," informs us that Linnteus in the most earnest manner 

 exhorted his countiymen to observe with all care and diligence at 

 what time each tree expanded its buds, and unfolded its leaves and 

 blossoms ; imagining not without reason that his country would 

 some day or other reap some new and perhaps unexpected benefit 

 from observations of this kind made in different localities. 



How far the periodical phenomena may be a guide to the 

 forwardness or backwardness of the season, and as such an indica- 

 tion of the probable productiveness of our various food-crops, may 

 be gathered fi'om the following short summary of the early and 

 late seasons brought to view by the results quoted in the table. 



1879, a Season of Late Records. — January of this year was one 

 of the coldest months ever recorded, the thermometer during the 

 whole period having been below 32° F. ; snow covered the ground, 

 the days were nearly sunless, and the wind N. and N.E. February 

 also was very cold, with a great excess of rain and a great deal 

 of snow. March was first warm, then cold, and on the 2 1 st very 

 cold with snow ; but the last few days of the month were warm. 

 The first quarter of the year ending March' 31st may be described 

 as exceedingly cold, with much rain and snow. The next three 

 months may be summed up in a few words, as cold, wet, and 

 sunless ; while Mr. Glaisher further informs us that for lowness of 

 temperature, the eight months beginning with K'ovember 1878, 

 and ending with June 1879, have only been once exceeded during 

 the one hundred years and upwards which have elapsed since the 

 first records were kept at Greenwich. July was cold, damp, and 

 sunless, rain falling every day during the first half of the month, 

 and frequently afterwards, sometimes mixed with snow. 



The year was a most disastrous one for our English fanners. It 

 was estimated that the cereal crops of the country were not more 

 than half the average. It is also a fact worthy of notice, that in 



