2 5 
Mr. Barker's Register, &c. 
After a few misty days, the beginning of the year was frosty, 
winterly, and severe, yet not so hard as before ; with frequent 
but little rains. The end of January, all February, and begin- 
ning of March, there was hardly any rain at all ; a calm, dry, 
and pleasant time, but not forwarding, for there was frequent 
frost, scarcely going off in the shade all day, yet the noontide 
sun was very warm. The greater part of March was dry, with 
frequent frosty mornings, and very backward, though calm ; but 
the last ten days were showery, pleasant, and forwarding : this 
was the beginning of a very wet half year. It was a blasting 
spring; and some fruits were cut off, after they seemed set, and 
considerably grown; yet some orchards escaped, and the frequent 
wet made strawberries plentiful. The season continued cold, 
wet, and backward, in general, but the last week in April was 
warmer and more forwarding, yet still wet ; then it turned cold 
again, but there were a few hot dry days toward the end of May. 
It was wet again at the end of that month ; very much so, almost 
all June, and the beginning of July, with several unseasonable 
floods, and cold at times ; but the rest of July was fairer for 
some time, and was the best and hottest part of the summer, till 
a very great thunder storm on the 30th. There was a great crop 
of hay, but bad weather for getting it up, and in the low mea- 
dows it was much flooded. The harvest was good, as to quan- 
tity, but could not be all well got, on account of the bad season, 
yet there was much less complaint of grown corn than might 
have been expected ; perhaps, what was not well got, might be 
used, not so much for bread, as for starch, powder, and distil- 
ling; for there was a vast difference in the price of good and 
bad wheat, some sorts being almost twice as much as others. 
Most sorts of fruit were scarce ; but peaches and nectarines 
mdccxcix. E 
