196 E. MAWLET — PHENOLOGICAL PHENOMElfiL 



(2) the covering of snow protecting low-growing plants, (3) the 

 perfectly matured condition of the wood of fruit-trees, shrubs, etc. 

 In fact, when I came to prune my roses in March, I found that 

 the shoots of even the most tender hybrid perpetuals were perfectly 

 sound. 



Mr. Little, writing from Hitchin, remarks that queen wasps 

 hibernated together in large numbers, as many as filled an old 

 teapot having been found under a large tarpaulin on the roof of 

 an outhouse. 



Taking all the returns sent in, the hazel flowered four days later 

 than its mean date for the county for the previous seventeen years ; 

 the song-thrush was first heard five days later than usual ; and the 

 honey-bee first visited flowers about a fortnight later. 



The Spring. 



Until the middle of April there did not occur a single unseason- 

 ably cold day, while only a few of the nights were even moderately 

 cold. From that time seasonable temperatures mostly prevailed 

 until the end of the third week in May. A change to cold weather 

 then took place which lasted until the end of the quarter. This 

 change was remarkably complete, and took place very suddenly. 

 Indeed, on two nights, those preceding the 21st and 22nd of May, 

 my exposed thermometer registered 1 1° of frost. 



These frosts, Avhich were followed by cold north-easterly winds, 

 proved most disastrous to fruit-blossoms and potatoes, as well as to 

 the young shoots and the foliage of trees, shrubs, roses, etc. It 

 must be remembered that at the time they occurred everything 

 was in a singularly forward condition, owing to the previous long 

 spell of warm weather, and the absence of anything like a check 

 from low night temperatures. Fortunately, beyond arresting tem- 

 porarily their growth, no damage was done either to the young 

 corn or to the grass. The effects of these frosts varied greatly in 

 different localities according to their elevation, exposure to sun- 

 shine or cold winds, and other causes. Previous to their occurrence 

 the fruit-trees were laden with blossom, and having well-ripened 

 shoots, the promise of grand crops never seemed more assured. 

 The apple-trees and strawberries were in most places the greatest 

 sufferers. 



At Watford, Mrs. G. E. Bishop states, potatoes and strawberry 

 blossoms were very much cut, while bedding plants in frames 

 unprotected were much injured and many were killed. 



Mr. Hopkinson reports that May was the first month last year 

 in which the mean temperature had up to that time been below the 

 average, and that on the nights preceding the 21st and 22nd there 

 occurred at St. Albans sharp ground-frosts which did much damage 

 to fruit-blossoms and vegetation generally. Our earliest and best 

 strawberries were, he says, cut off, making the crop very poor, 

 and a fortnight later than usual. 



Nearly all the potatoes in my garden at Berkhamsted had their 

 tops destroyed, with the exception of those growing on a south 



