BY THE nSV. R. F. WHEELER, M.A. 273 



ash suffered least from the dry summer, and the trees retained 

 theu' green foHage to the last. The elm and maple shed their 

 leaves early ; and the oak, the alder, the willow, and the beech 

 quickly put on a brown appearance. 



North Sunderland. — The larch was much damaged by the 

 great drought this summer. It made a second growth in Octo- 

 ber in Chathill and Swinhoe woods. 



Lilburn Tower. — The fruit crops were generally good ; apples 

 were, however, an exception. The crop was destroyed by frost 

 on May the 6th. The fruit bushes were never so free from in- 

 sects as in 1868. Carrots escaped the ravages of the wire worm. 

 This is the first year in vvhich Mr. Deas has succeeded in getting 

 a crop. He attributes it to the extreme dryness of the summer. 



Byrness. — Hay was cut on Jiily the 10th : very light crop. 



Wallington. — May. — A very severe frost on the 6th nearly 

 destroyed all the plums and pears which were set on the wall 

 trees. Standard apples and damsons which were in blossom 

 were sadly injured : the later trees, however, escaped, and bore 

 a crop. The greater part of the cherries, which were nicely set, 

 fell off a few days after. 



June. — The hay crops suffered from want of rain and were 

 below an average. The later sown turnips were a complete 

 failure : in many places the seed remained for many weeks in 

 the ground and only sprouted when the drought gave way. 



North Shields. — Snowdrops were in flower on February the 

 27th. 



Grass was cut on June the 13th. The white rose was in 

 flower on the 15th. Cabbage rose on the 18th. Wheat was 

 in ear on June the 22nd, and cut on July the 31st. Apples 

 were ripe on August the 25th, and pears on the 30th. 



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