_ Mr. Barker's Register , &c. 363 
The year began, as the last ended, with frost, but in a week's 
time the stormy wet weather returned, and, in some places, 
with thunder ; but it gradually grew better, and by the middle 
of February there was a good deal of fine and pleasant weather, 
and, except a few frosty days and north winds the end of that 
month and beginning of March, the former part of spring 
was finer than usual ; few NW winds, and those not so cold 
as they often are : chiefly dry in March ; a good seed time, 
and a showery, warm, or almost hot, greater part of April, 
brought things on a great pace ; and there was more grass at 
the end of that month than there sometimes is at the end of 
May. 
But the two last days of April were colder ; frequent frosty 
mornings, and cold NE winds in May, which being chiefly 
dry, the grass began to burn at the end of it ; but there had 
been so much early grass that there was no want. The sum- 
mer was a very uncertain one, sometimes very hot, at other 
times remarkably cold ; and sharp frosty mornings the middle 
of June, with a little hail, and some said snow ; killed, or near 
it, many tender summer plants ; and there were very few na- 
tural ground cucumbers this year, but it was dry and burning 
at the end of the month. The weather was also very dif- 
ferent in different countries: in the east and south-east parts 
of England they complained of a five-months drought ; in this 
country, though the ground burned sometimes, as at the end 
of May, and the beginning and end of June, yet the grass had 
got so forward in April, that, with some rain at times, our 
ground was never bare ; and fits of showery weather, and 
some great rains, made plenty of latter grass and turnips. At 
Selbourn, April, May, and June, were rather dry, but there 
