By the Rev. A. C. Smith. 55 



And so of August, following the same strain, though negatively : — - 



" Dry August and warm 

 Doth harvest no harm."* 



Then we have : — 



" September blow soft, 

 Till the fruit's in the loft." 



Of the remaining three months the approach of winter is the chief 

 burden of the people's song. There is a saying that " If in the fall 

 of the leaf in October, many leaves wither on the bough, and hang 

 there, it betokens a frosty winter and much snow/'' 1 



There is another saying, of questionable morality : — 



" Dry your barley in October,! 

 Or you'll always be^ sober ; " 



meaning, if this is not done, there will be no malt ! 

 Again : — 



" At St. Simon and St. Jude \ 

 "Water may be viewed ; " 



signifying that winter now comes in. 2 



• There is an old English saying " After Lammas (August 1st) eorn ripens as much by night, as 

 by day." While in France asserting the same conviction of the value of a dry season, at this period 

 of the year, is the proverb :— 



*• Quand il pleut le premier Aout 

 C'est signe qu 'il n'y aura pas de regain" (aftermath). 



1 So the German proverb runs, " Sitzt das Laub in Oktober noch fest auf den 

 Baumen, so deutet das auf einen strengen Winter." 



+ Very often in the middle of October, a few fine days occur, and the warm weather of this 

 season is almost universally known as summer. 

 In England it is called " St. Luke's little summer " (October 18th ; O.S. October 30th). 

 In France, " L'ete de Saint Denis" (October 9th ; O.S. October 21st). 



In Otrmany, the " Altweiber sommer," or the " summer of St. Gall" (October 16th ; 0,8. October 

 28th), or " of St. Martin" (October 11th ; O.S. October 23). 

 In Belgium, " St. Michael's summer" (September 29th ; O.S. October 11th). 

 In Bohemia, " The summer of St. Wenceslaus" (September 28th; O.S. October 10th), 

 In Lombardy, "L'esta de' Santa Teresa" (October 15th; O.S. October 27th). 

 In Sweden, " St. Bridget's summer " (October 8th ; O.S. October 20th), 

 In America, " The Indian snmmer." 



t October 28th ; O.S. November 9th. 



2 The feast of SS. Simon and Jude is by many considered to be the first day 

 of winter. Thus there is an old English saying, "On SS. Simon and Jude 

 winter approaches at a gentle trot." 



