The Rescue of an Old Place 

 gins about the last of June and continues 



titntal season. n A i i- M 



well into August, which is ordinarily wet 

 and muggy, but the spring and summer of 

 1891 seemed disposed to defy precedent. 

 April, which from time immemorial has 

 been depended on for showers, this year 

 completely spoiled its record, and only 

 gave us an inch and a fraction of rain. 

 This was followed by a dry, cold May, and 

 then came the first half of June without 

 a drop, culminating in two days the like of 

 which we seldom see, the mercury touch- 

 ing ninety -seven degrees in the shade. 

 Then, at last, down came the floods with 

 a rush, and refreshed the parched and 

 thirsty earth for days, the first continued 

 rain-storm for three months, sorely needed 

 by the suffering hay-crop and the dwin- 

 dling trees. 



During drought in this region, where the 

 soil is light and sandy, the care of lawns 

 and gardens has to be incessant. Fortu- 

 nately our old town has a fine supply of 

 aqueduct water brought from a nearly 

 inexhaustible pond within its limits, and 

 the hose can be brought to bear with 

 effect upon the worst places ; but this, 

 194 



