OBSERVED IN' HERTFORDSHIRE IN 1904. 
243 
recover their normal growth throughout the rest of the season, and 
the wheat crop was the worst crop harvested since 1879. Root 
crops and potatoes also suffered from the drought considerably 
during their early period of growth. On the other hand, he adds, 
the deep-rooted fruit-trees drew up the reserve water-supply of 
the previous year’s heavy fall, so that they did not suffer from 
drought, and there was in most cases abundance of fruit. 
Mr. Fordham, writing from Odsey, states that the cutting of 
wheat there began on August 1st, and that of barley three days 
later, while the harvest was finished on the 29th. Our new 
observer at St. Albans mentions the unusually abundant and fine 
blossoms on the wild roses, and the great number of small white 
butterflies. 
The plants on the list which flower during the summer months 
were, as in the previous quarter, mostly late in coming into blossom. 
The dog-rose was three days early, the black knapweed eighteen 
days late, the harebell eleven days late, and the greater bindweed 
eight days late. 
The Autumn. 
This was the coldest Autumn since 1896, or for eight years. 
There was one very cold period in November, when towards the 
end of the month the exposed thermometer showed 21 degrees of 
frost, which is with one exception the greatest cold which I have 
yet recorded at Berkhamsted in that month. It also proved a very 
dry quarter, the total rainfall being less than half the average 
amount. The duration of clear sunshine was about a quarter of 
an hour a day longer than is seasonable. 
No sooner had the corn crops been cleared than it was possible 
to plough up the stubbles and clear the land of weeds, which in the 
previous wet Autumn and Winter there was never any opportunity 
of doing. After the great heat in the Summer the ground worked 
splendidly, and when, later in the season, the sowing of wheat 
began, an admirable seed-bed was obtained. The importance to 
farmers, so far as wheat is concerned, in obtaining such a seed-bed, 
has recently been conclusively proved by Dr. W. N. Shaw, F.R.S., 
for he has shown that the yield of wheat in one Autumn is very 
closely connected indeed with the character of the rainfall in the 
previous Autumn, a dry Autumn being invariably followed by an 
abundant yield, and a very wet one by a very deficient yield. If 
this only holds good for another year, the certainty of an abundant 
wheat harvest during the coming Autumn is assured. The root- 
crops improved during the Autumn of 1904 beyond all previous 
expectation, while there was always a plentiful supply of grass in 
the pastures for the cattle and sheep. 
This was also a good season in the garden, at all events until the 
end of the third week in November, when there came several 
exceptionally severe frosts for an autumn month. This killed off 
most of the flowers then open, and arrested the growth of many 
plants for the rest of the year. Previous to these frosts the 
