DORSET WEATHER LORE. 141 



taste of the Dorset agriculturist, if we may judge 

 from a couplet sent in 1889 to the Somerset and 

 Dorset N. and Q. (Vol. I., p. 269) by G.W.F., under 

 which initials it is not difficult to recognise Mr. G. 

 W. Floyer, another old member of the Club — 



" Of all months that are in the year 

 Curse a fair Februeer." 



(ii.) According to Mr. Norris this month shares, in 

 slightly different terms, the epithet given to it by 

 many other counties of " Veb'uary veil-ditch." 



March — 



(i.) The following proverb is no doubt common to 

 many counties besides Dorset — " If March comes in 

 like a lion, it will go out like a lamb," and vice versa. 

 (ii.) It is widely believed that March and the two follow- 

 ing months afford the greatest trial to a weakly 

 constitution, owing to their often rapid change 

 of temperature. It is thus expressed in Dorset — 



" March wull sarch, 

 Eapril wull try, 

 May'ull tell 

 If you'll live or die." 



(iii.) Another common one is — 



" March winds and April showers 

 Will bring forth May flowers." 



(iv.) The value to agriculturists of a dry March is well 

 recognised in the proverbial sayings of many 

 counties. In West Dorset I find the somewhat 

 unusual form of " A bushel of March dust is worth 

 a King's ransom when do vail on thornen leaves," 

 given by a correspondent in Notes and Queries (5th 

 S. I. 505), who suggests that the March dust is 

 valuable at the close of the month when the thorn 

 begins to unfold its leaves rather than at an earlier 

 period. 



