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WliiATHBR AKD PliANT OBSERVATIONS 



Since the last issue of the Transactions, 

 with the weather report for 19^9^ some curious 

 weather conditions have been experienced. 



1950 and 1951 were chiefly notable for 

 phenomenal rainfall and sunless conditions, with severe 

 gales at times when serious damage was done and the 

 sea v/all breached at Dymchurch, troops being sent to 

 help with repairs, 



Folkestone Yias fortunate in escaping extremes, 

 especially the heavy snov/storms that blocked many 

 roads and cut off villages near Ashford and Dover* 

 A late fall on April 26th 1950 brought down telegraph 

 wires and did great damage to trees in leaf, 

 especially Silver Birches. There v/ere many thunder- 

 storms in 1950, and one in particular ended with a 

 sinister floodlit effect v/ith lightning shooting 

 through a rainbow against deep black clouds. It v/as 

 a good Orchid year. Poppies v/ero particularly abun- 

 dant, many fields being scarlet squares. Wild 

 Candytuft (Iberis amara) occurred in several places, 

 and throughout the district there v/ere quantities of 

 the 'giant Cotton Thistle (Onopordon acanthium). 



1951 v/as a depressingly wet year, with a very 

 late spring, due to exceptionally v/et conditions. 

 TDven weeds did not grow. Our first botanical walk 

 was held on April 26th, and it was so cold and bleak 

 and the vegetation so backward that it might have 

 been mid-February - except for two swallows circling 

 round a horse pond. Chalk hill and pasture Orchids 

 were scarce, which seems to indicate that prolonged 

 rainfall in winter may inhibit growth as much as will 

 frost and drought. Marsh Orchids (Orchis latifolia), 

 hov/ever, were exceptionally fine as might be expected, 

 and later some fine specimens of Violet Hellebotine 



