DRY MAY. 167 
It is proverbial with us that a dry May destroys 
the generality of our crops, or renders them at least 
sickly and reduces them greatly in amount. We 
count therefore with certainty on these consequen- 
ces when the above character of the month is fairly 
established. Grass, and corn of all kinds imme- 
diately appear sickly and stunted, and the future 
crops are invariably small; turnips and potatoes 
also suffer, being greatly diminished in size and 
number, and deteriorated in quality ; cabbages 
again, are injured greatly, never arriving at much 
heart or good flavour. It is known also, that a dry 
May is favorable to the production of certain in- 
sect pests, amongst which is the “ flea” that feeds 
on the leaves of turnips just after they have come 
up, and the eggs of which I may here observe lie 
in all likelihood in the soil, for I find on sowing 
turnip seed in a piece of ground that had been 
occupied by a grass-plot for a series of years, that 
although the season was favorable to the production 
of the insect, and had actually generated it on some 
young turnips a few yards off, no imsects of this 
sort appeared on the former plants. In 1786 the loss 
sustained in this county by this insect was esti- 
-mated at £100,000. In this month (May) the 
vegetable world is in general occupied in making 
its first essays, requiring however the aid of moisture 
to effect its objects at this juncture, and in defect of 
the conjoined influences of heat and moisture, the 
sequel might a priori be readily conceived. In 1836 
we not only had late corn and other harvests on 
this account, but, hay was more than doubled in 
value, and cabbages could not be obtained for 
money. Hay harvests are with us very preca- 
rious times, owing to their being nearly always de- 
ferred till the end of June and July, and that season 
proving in the generality of years prone to wet and 
change; hence this article is as frequently sour 
