WEATHER AND OTHER NOTES. 63 
farms in this locality the crop was all in the stack by the end 
of the month. Wasps and wasp nests were plentiful. 
SEPTEMBER. 
The weather of September was very fine and dry, with 
sunshine above the normal and heavy dews at night. Corn 
cutting went on without hindrance, but when in the stook 
there was a lack of sharp breezes required for making it 
ready to go into a stack. There was a large shortage of 
bulk in this locality. It was sad to see the wee stooks, a 
good way apart in some fields, which looked very promising 
in the spring, being a great loss to the farmer after all his 
anxiety, labour, and expense, and very discouraging to see 
his crop so small through the drought. There was an abun- 
dant crop of apples and plums ; and although the wasps 
were very numerous during the summer, I have seen them 
more destructive on the fruit in the autumn. But the black- 
birds were very bad. On hearing the least disturbing noise 
they just gave a ‘‘cluck,’’ and in an instant cunningly 
vanished out of sight beneath a neighbouring bush or hedge. 
Any scaring device that is erected in the orchard or on the 
trees is of little service, as they very soon make its acquaint- 
ance, and may again be seen enjoying their feast beside it 
in a day or so. The rainfall of the month was very low, .61 
inches, being the lowest recorded here for September since 
1895. The wind was light and variable. There was sun- 
shine at 9 a.m. on twenty days. Thunder was heard on the 
13th and 24th. 
OCTOBER. 
On the morning of the 1st there was white frost and 
bright sun. The first ten days were warm, sunny, and dry— 
ideal weather for lifting potatoes, which turned out a good 
crop with little disease. Turnips, grass, and springs were 
in need of rain. On the 11th .85 inches of rain fell, but it 
was merely a surface watering. The ground a few inches 
below remained very hard and dry. On the 24th 1.20 inches 
fell, which caused a fair flood on the Cluden, but the deep 
