Mr, Barker’s Regifler , &c. 279 
The thermometer abroad being broken in December, that 
month is defective in that article. 
THE winter proved a remarkably open one; no froft of 
two whole days together, nor any lnow ; fo that there were 
young artichokes in the garden all winter, where they were 
fhort and among the leaves ; and the lecond crop of figs, which 
are generally killed in winter, efcaped this year, and ripened in 
the furnmer, but did not grow large. It was faid there were 
young hares in winter, and birds’ eggs laid, fome of which 
were perhaps hatched. Several people laid they faw a covey of 
young partridges near Oakham in February ; but I cannot 
affirm it, for others fufpedted fome miftake. January was 
fhowery and mild, but often windy ; as the days grew longer, 
it became dryer, finer, and forward. A fwarm of bees role and 
fettled at Tixover, March 2. ; but it was rather a fluffing of 
their hive for want, than a regular fwarm, which could not 
have been bred fo early. The owner, having a deferted hive 
with combs and honey in it, put them into that, where they 
lived, and grew ftrong in the furnmer. The forwardnefs of the 
feafon continued till the N.E. winds of March made it colder 
and more frofty ; the grow r th of all things was then flopped, 
and the firft fortnight in April was feverer than any part of 
the winter, with the only fnow this feafon. 
The feed time was dry, and in general good ; but, for want 
of froft in the winter, the ground ploughed ftiff, and required 
a great deal of working ; and the feafon continued dry and 
backward till after the middle of May, when rain and warmer 
weather made every thing grow as fall: as they were flow be- 
fore. The furnmer was chiefly cloudy and windy, and after 
n the 
