GLIMPSES OJ? LIFE IN THE DISTEICT. 165 



what my father always said in. reply to that question ; he 

 said there are eight months winter uninterrupedly, that 

 was a settled thing, then two months spring, and two 

 months autumn, all the rest are summer." That is a little 

 exaggerated. I found it almost invariably two months 

 only without frost, more or less. You can't set out your 

 annuals before the 15th of June. I have had them all 

 frozen up on the 25th of June ; and once during my resi- 

 dence there there was a heavy fall of snow on the 5th of 

 July, and two men found frozen in a brick shed not far 

 from my house — having lain down drunken no doubt 

 overnight. The cold temperature ranges about from 15° 

 to 25° Reaumour, and sometimes 35° and 41°, but not 

 often nor long, though I have seen mercury beaten on the 

 anvil like lead. In the summer, when the wind is south- 

 east, it is nearly stifling. In the spring I have seen the 

 mosquitoes in clouds hanging over the woods. The only 

 protection to the skin is turpentine or smoke, so you have 

 to decide which you can best endure — stink or stings.' 



