OBSEKVED IN HERTFOIlDSniRE IN 1899. 179 



localities the wet weather which set in at the end of October 

 came too late to save the turnips, but in those parts of the county 

 where the drought was least severe they considerably improved. 

 The mauiiolds almost evervwliere withstood the dry weather far 

 better than the swedes and turnips. These late rains, coming as 

 they did when the ground was still unusually warm for the 

 time of year, had a magical effect upon the pastures, which 

 rapidly recovered, and in a short time presented a greener 

 appearance than they had done for months. According to the 

 returns sent in to the 'Agricultural Gazette,' the yield of the 

 principal farm-crops in the county generally was as follows : 

 AVheat about average, barley and oats under average, beans and 

 peas under average, turnips and hay much under average, while 

 the crops of mangolds and potatoes were about the average. 



The rains referred to were equally welcomed by the gardener, 

 for the vegetables had made such poor growth during the summer 

 that a warm and wet period was required to enable them to regain 

 some of the ground they had lost before the winter set in. In fact, 

 there were few plants, whether in the flower or kitchen garden, 

 which were not greatly benefited. In those localities which 

 escaped the early autumn frosts the blossoming period of the 

 dahlias and other autumn flowers lasted throughout the season. 

 At Berkhamsted the upper half of my dahlias was blackened as 

 early as the 29th of September, and their prospects of flowering 

 ruined for the rest of the year. The plants, however, lingered on 

 in this crippled condition until November 18th, when the frost of 

 the preceding night cut them to the ground. This is a fortnight 

 later than the average date of their destruction in the pre^'ious 

 fourteen years. 



Taking the county as a whole, the yield of apples, pears, and 

 plums was poor, while all the smaller fruits were about average 

 crops. These particulars I have obtained from returns sent in to 

 the ' Gardeners' Chronicle ' in August last. 



The last swallow was thirteen days late in taking its departure 

 as compared with its average date for the previous eight years. 



