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there be as few years of dearth in Ireland, as in any other country 

 of Chriftendom ; and moft years there is not only corn enough got 

 for the fuftenance of the inhabitants, but a greaj deal over and 

 above, for the fending out of great quantities of grains into other 

 countries.' 



On this ftatement I would remark, that the uninterrupted courfe 

 of dry weather, above reprefented as appertaining to our fpring, 

 neither correfponds with what I have obferved, nor, as far as I 

 know, with the obfervations of any other writer. The general |^^ 



charader of our fpring weather feems to be cold, with frequent 

 dry days, and a confiderable arefadtive power in the air, but with 

 no long abfence of rain, it being rather fhowery, and April fo to a 

 proverb. Whilft Dr. Boate remarks on the wetnefs of our fum- 

 mers in general, he admits, ' that fummers have been, which were 

 full of very dry, and fair, and pleafant weather.,' In this repre- 

 fentation of certain fummers, I agree with Dr. Boate j as we often 

 have one remarkably dry fummcr feafon, and fometimes two or 

 three fuccellively, between a greater number of wet ones. He 

 obferves truly, however, that ' over dry fummers do in this 

 ifland hardly come once in an age ; and it is a common faying in 

 Ireland, that the very dryeft fummers there never hurt the 

 land.' 



ACAIN, 



