OBSERVED IN HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1893. 31 



tlie flowering of all plants took place in advance of the mean. 

 For instance, blackthorn blossomed from a week to ten days earlier 

 than nsnal, garlic hedge-mustard about a fortnight earlier, horse- 

 chestnut about three weeks earlier, hawthorn from three weeks 

 to a month earlier, the white ox-eye about ten days earlier, the 

 dog-rose more than three weeks earlier, and the black knapweed 

 also fully three weeks in advance of its average date. 



Tlie swallow was reported as having been first seen at four 

 stations a few days earlier, and at three a few days later, than 

 the mi^an date. The cuckoo was first heard at most stations a few 

 days behind its usual time. The nightingale at all but one station 

 ■was a few days late. 



The dates sent in for the first wasp vary greatly, ranging from 

 March 16th to April 29th, but the small white butterfly was seen 

 in most districts from a few days to a fortnight early, while the 

 orange-tip butterfly was about three weeks early. 



The StTMMER. 



This proved another very dry and warm season, while the record 

 of bright sunshine was greater than in any summer since that of 

 the Jubilee year, 1887. June and August were singularly hot and 

 dry months, but during the greater part of July the weather was 

 only moderately warm, and rain fell at frequent intervals. 



Owing to the continued cb'ought, which may be said to have 

 lasted from the beginning of March until the end of the first week 

 in July — or for eighteen weeks — vegetation suffered severely. The 

 grass was burnt up in the pastures, and where cut for hay yielded 

 one of the lightest crops on record. In Sir John Lawes' grass 

 experiments at Kothamsted, the plot which never receives any 

 manure yielded 3 cwt. of hay per acre instead of its usual average 

 of 21 cwt. ; and the plot the most hea\T-ly manured yielded 23 cwt. 

 per acre instead of an average of 57 cwt. The com made but poor 

 growth, and came to maturity remarkably early. At Haipenden 

 the cutting of winter oats began duiing the first week in July. 

 The refi'eshing rains of July improved the grass lands for a time, 

 but towards the end of the season they were becoming as bare as 

 ever, owing to the dry weather again setting in during August. 

 Strawberries proved in most places a poor crop, while bush-fruits on 

 the other hand were as a rule abundant. 



Two of the summer plants on the list having flowered during 

 the previous season, only two others remain for notice here 

 — the harebell and the greater bindweed. The harebell was a few 

 days late in flowering at the only two stations at which it was 

 noted. This plant, owing no doubt to its shallow roots, suffered 

 more than any of the others. In fact the great dryness of the 

 ground appeared to retard both its growth and flowering consider- 

 ably. The greater bindweed, on the contrary, being deep-rooted, 

 came into blossom more in advance of its average date than any of 

 the other twelve plants — the variation fi'om the average amounting 

 at two stations to as much as six weeks. 



