208 FIRST APPEARANCES OF BIRDS, INSECTS, ETC. 



1 p.m. very well. I made several observations from Chard- 

 stock House. The day was cold and raw ; wind light, from 

 N.E. ; cloudy. The eclipse was seen well between the breaks 

 in the light clouds. The summer of 1912 beats any record 

 for wet and cold and no sunshine ; 1879 was the last very wet 

 summer, but not to be compared with 1912. Floods and wet 

 in Dorsetshire, Somersetshire, Wiltshire, and Norfolk from 

 May to September, 1912. A good deal of thunder and wind, 

 abnormally cold and wet from May to September. [From 

 Meteorological Notes from E. S. Rodd's Daily Journal of 

 Natural History and County Events of 40 years' close 

 observation at Chardstock House, Dorsetshire 1872 to 1912.] 

 The wettest August in England on record ; and much 

 damage caused by floods, especially in Huntingdon and 

 Norfolk. Fine cold September ; October was warm and 

 bright ; lovely English autumnal weather up to 14th. Plenty 

 of " Eddish " in the pastures everywhere. Partridges very 

 patchy ; ditto pheasants ; hundreds drowned in the wet 

 weather. Cubs very plentiful. Cows and calves high price, 

 and more stock selling at good fair prices. Had my last 

 dish of green peas on November 1st, grown in the open 

 kitchen garden at Chardstock House. Potatoes not a good 

 crop, but fairly sound. Roots fair, but no plant life has had 

 sun or warmth enough this year, 1912. Apples and peas a 

 fair crop, and abundant year for nuts and blackberries. 

 Very few mushrooms, oddly enough, about here this wet 

 season. Garden flowers have not done well, except sweet 

 peas and begonias, which like much rain. I think the good 

 nut and berry year may be owing to the wood in many trees 

 and shrubs being thoroughly ripened during 1911, when we 

 had a hot, dry summer. December 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th 

 a heavy gale of wind from the S.W. and torrents of rain 

 fell at times. Weather very mild ; I have not observed 

 the barometer so low for a very long time. On Dec. 31st 

 I saw a field of wheat in " stitch " near Yarcombe Village 

 returning from hunting. The year 1912 kept its character 

 up to the end, and ended in wet, mild weather. 



