240 
REMARKS ON THE WEATHER. 
Since the beginning of the month we have experienced fine season¬ 
able weather, with occasional showers, which proved of great service in 
gardens as well as in the fields. Vegetation progressed rapidly, espe¬ 
cially after the 16th ; as for several days previous much soft but soaking 
rain had fallen, most opportunely for assisting the germination of seed, 
reinvigorating new planted trees, and freeing old fruit-trees from frost¬ 
bitten and defective flowers. On the 15th we had loud claps of 
thunder, accompanied with hail, which did considerable damage to hot¬ 
bed, and hot-house lights, particularly in the parishes* of Lambeth and 
Clapham. This, and the rain together, dislodged many caterpillars 
from the fruit-trees, and which might be seen suspended by their 
threads, or creeping on the ground below, where they were eagerly 
collected by house-sparrows, and other small birds, to feed their young. 
Forced peas, and spring-sown turnips, appeared in Covent Garden 
market on or before the 25th April. And as a proof of the mildness 
of the past winter, green tares were hawked about London on the 6th 
May. All the summer birds had arrived on the 15th, except, perhaps, 
the turtle-dove. 
From the present appearance of fruit-trees there is a prospect of a 
fair sprinkling of all the different sorts, with the exception, perhaps, of 
standard plums. Wall-fruit, in some places, have suffered greatly from 
the frosts which happened about the middle of April. The first shoots 
of vines, in warm aspects, also suffered at the same time ; and it is 
remarkable that, about the same period, the vineyards of France and 
south of Germany were very much damaged by frost, which killed the 
leading shoots and fruit so extensively that, in some wine districts, no 
vintage is expected this year. 
Strawberries are finely in flower, and much assisted by the present 
dripping weather ; there is, therefore, every sign of an abundant crop of 
this delicious fruit. 
The larva of the Yponamenta capella , or little grey moth, described 
in our last number, made its appearance on apple-trees and hawthorn 
hedges about the 15th inst., and already the young shoots are covered 
with their webs. 
Both insects and mildew begin to appear on peach and nectarine 
trees; picking off the diseased leaves and shoots, and anointing the 
affected parts with soap-lather and flour of brimstone, is the best 
remedy. 
London, May 25th. 
