136 Observations on the Season in the Year 1816. 



observations, were very full of fruit, smaller than usual 

 and later, without flavour, or rather ill-flavoured ; trees 

 that formerly bore sweet fruit, row bore sour, or at least 

 insipid ; what I saw was scarcely eatable. 



Pears, (pyrus communis) the same observations will 

 apply here as were made on the summer apples ; in great 

 plenty. 



Quince, {pyrus cydonia) I believe scarce ; but my ob- 

 servation on this article is very local and superficial. 



Cherries, (prunus cerasus.) Remarkably plenty ; not 

 as good as in warmer seasons. 



Plumbs, (prunus domestiea.) Generally not well fla- 

 voured, though some local favourable situations, as great 

 exposure to the suns rays and gravelly soil, produced very 

 good fruit. 



Apricots, (amygdalus armeniaca.) Scarce, and, owing 

 to that circumstance, larger than common. Suffered in 

 point of flavour, like most of the foregoing. 



Grapes, (vitis vulpina,) or a variety of it, in my posses- 

 sion. As plenty, and nearly as fine, as in other years. 



I shall just observe, that the seven foregoing kinds of 

 fruit, have suffered less from insects (in tht ir first state 

 of existence sometimes called larvae, eruca, or worms,) 

 than in any other year within my recollection : owing 

 no doubt to the frigidity of the season, keeping the in- 

 sects in a dormant state, till the rinds of the fruit became 

 too hard to be perforated by them ; or the season too far 

 advanced to give time for the eggs to hatch before the fruit 

 came to perfection. 



