JUNE. 395 



quently this grain would fetch an advanced price 

 in the ensuing winter ; but the event falsified their 

 prediction, and the public were served with bread 

 at a reasonable rate throughout the winter, the 

 price of wheat never exceeding 42s. or 43s. per 

 quarter. This unexpected fertility was occasioned, 

 as I conceive, by a kindly and favourable season at 

 the blooming time, for in this year the wheat was 

 very backward in coming out of the hose, and 

 during the time it remained in blossom, the weather 

 was most favourable for that purpose, being, in 

 truth, the only part of the summer unaccompanied 

 with rain or wind. From these observations may 

 be drawn the following corollary: that when the 

 wheat hath a good blooming time, though the rest 

 of the summer, both antecedent and succeeding 

 this period, may have been unkindly ; yet so much 

 depends on the kindly state of the air at the blos- 

 soming season, that little danger need be appre- 

 hended to the crop from the weather in any other 

 part of the summer. On the other hand, though 

 the summer months may in general have been such 

 as to promise a good crop of wheat ; yet should a 

 wet and unkindly season intervene while the corn 

 is in bloom, the produce will not be analogous to 

 the general state of the weather during the greater 

 part of the summer months, but to that particular 

 prevalence of it at the time when the wheat was in 

 bloom, a time whereon seems to depend the future 

 welfare of this and every other vegetable. 



A series of easterly winds at the blooming sea- 

 son 



