430 
Hay Harvest Fm-ecasts, 1890, 
for injuring his trees by improperly cutting them. The defendant 
relied for his defence on the above-mentioned section of the High- 
ways Act, 1835, and on a magistrates' order made under it which 
directed him to " lop and top " the trees in question. The plaintiflf 
contended that " topping " and " lopping " trees were different ope- 
rations, and that though the Act gave power to the magistrates to 
order the trees to be "lopped," it gave them no power to order 
them to be " topped." And so the Court decided. 
The Master of the Rolls, in giving judgment, said that when 
Parliament had to deal with matters relating to the general public 
it used words in their ordinary and general sense, but when it dealt 
with particular businesses or transactions, and used words which had 
a particular meaning in connection therewith, the words so used must 
bear such particular meaning. The Highways Act referred to 
country matters, and had to be administered by country justices, and 
it spoke of the "lopping " of trees. It would be mere pedantry for 
the Court to pretend not to know that "lopping " was always under- 
stood by people who had anything to do with trees as meaning the 
cutting off the lateral branches, and that cutting off the head of the 
tree was called "topping" it. "Lopping" and "topping" were 
entirely different, and " lopping " did not include " topping." The 
defendant therefore, when he " topped " the plaintiff's trees, exceeded 
the power given him by the Act, which only authorised him to " lop " 
them, and he must therefore be held liable. 
S. B. L. Dkuce. 
HAY HARVEST FORECASTS, 1 890.1 
The results of the checking of the Hay Harvest Forecasts during 
the haymaking period of 1890 show that, notwithstanding the 
unsettled weather which prevailed during the summer months of 
last year, the general percentage of success again reached 89. The 
same degree of success was attained in 1889, which, to that date, 
was the highest recorded. The largest general percentage (95) was 
reached in Scotland, E., while the smallest (86) was in England, E. 
The telegrams were sent daily between 3.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. on 
each week-day for about five weeks, beginning on June 9, in the 
Eastern and Southern districts of England, and ending on July 26 
over the greater part of England, and about a fortnight later in most 
parts of Scotland. 
In addition to the usual recipients, telegrams were sent to six 
other gentlemen at their own cost. Among them was Mr. J. Fergus- 
' Particulars supplied by the Meteorological Office. 
