OBSERVED IN HERTEORDSHIRE IN 1902. 
47 
Mr. Willis reports from Harpenden that the first ear of wheat 
was out of its sheath on June 20th, wdiich is eleven days later than 
its average date in the previous ten years, and later than in any 
of those years. 
The plants on the list which flower during the summer months 
were ail very late in coming into blossom. The dog-rose was 
fourteen days late, the black knapweed sixteen days late, the 
harebell eight days late, and the greater bindweed seven days late. 
The Autumn. 
Taken as a whole, this was a moderately warm Autumn, and in 
none of the three months composing it was the departure from the 
average in mean temperature in any way remarkable. In fact, 
in respect to temperature, the most noteworthy feature was an 
almost unbroken period of warm weather which lasted from the 
middle of October until the middle of November. The rainfall 
was very scanty — indeed, not much more than half the average 
quantity for the quarter. The record of sunshine at Berkhamsted 
was also small, falling short of its seasonable duration by about ten 
minutes a day. 
The harvest was completed under very much more favourable 
conditions as regards weather than those which prevailed when it 
began, owing to the dry and warm weather in the early part of 
September. The damage done to the cereal crops by the frequent 
and heavy rains of August appears to have varied a good deal in 
different parts of the county, and even to some extent in the same 
district, but only here and there are the reports in any way 
favourable, except as regards the yield of grain and straw, which 
was almost everywhere unusually good. Notwithstanding the 
small rainfall, turnips, swedes, and mangolds continued to make 
good growth throughout the Autumn There was also never any 
lack of grass in the pastures, which remained clothed with abundant 
herbage until the end of the season. 
Seldom has there been an Autumn so favourable to so many 
garden plants as that of 1902. Owing to the heavy rainfall in 
August and the moderate rains which at times occurred afterwards, 
the ground was always sufficiently moist, while the continuous 
spell of warm weather during the four weeks ending November 16th 
enabled them to continue growing unchecked until unusually late 
in that month. The consequence was that while the winter supply 
of vegetables was greatly benefited in the kitchen-garden, roses, 
dahlias, Michaelmas daisies, and other autumn-blooming plants 
were equally favoured in the flower-garden. 
Owing to their earlier publication I am for the first time enabled 
to give the estimated departures from the average in the yield of 
farm-produce in Hertfordshire from the official returns published 
by the Board of Agriculture. According to these returns the yield 
of wheat and barley was 9 per cent, in excess of their respective 
averages for the previous ten years, oats 8 per cent, in excess, 
beans 15 per cent, in excess, peas 10 per cent, in excess, turnips 
