Mr. Barker's Register, &c. 47 



The year began open and mild, and drier than it had been 

 at the end of last year. There was near a week's frost about 

 January the 10th; again about February the 6th; and the 

 sharpest this winter was about the 18th, but none of them lasted 

 a week. It was in general an open, mild, and pleasant winter, 

 and drying, except one great rain and flood, February 23. The 

 NE winds in the middle and latter end of March delayed the 

 grass, but the season was in general calm. It was a hue April, 

 chiefly dry, though with some fine rains at times, and not 

 without some storms. A fruitful season, though in some mea- 

 sure hindered by frequent frosty mornings, for the first three 

 weeks of April : this brought the grain on finely ; and the low 

 meadows, which were so thoroughly soaked by the wet last 

 winter, had great crops of grass ; but the late laid uplands were 

 thin. 



I think it was upon the whole one of the finest summers I 

 have known ; a great deal of calm, sunny, and fine weather, 

 and moderately hot. The wet of the winter prevented the 

 ground from burning till the middle of the summer: then a 

 wet middle of July set the grass growing again ; but, as rain 

 was wanted, it was not complained of, though in hay-time; 

 for it rather hindered than damaged the hay, which was for 

 the most part pretty well got, though rather troublesome, and 

 the wet made plenty of turnips, and fine eddishes. The harvest 

 was in general well got, with good crops of white corn ; but 

 the weather had been full dry for the beans and peas, which 

 were thin, though pretty well corned; and the harvest was 

 early, for it was almost finished in August.' The fine harvest 

 made the ground begin to burn again in September ; but that 

 was soon stopped, by a great and windy rain before the end of 



