The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-11-28
And for April, again,
"a cold april
The burn vii! a."

i
! April showers
| Bring summer flowers"
And another, lauding the proloDgatlon of
the force winds of Mnrcb,
"When Apr,l blows his horn,
It's good for both hay and corn"
While even tor May we have,
mist In May aud heat ia June
Makes the harvest come right soon."
And again,
who tioTs his coat on 4 wi1ior's day
Will gladly put it on IN May"
And for June,
"a dripping juno
Brings all things IN tune"
Every one Of these Wiltshire proverbs, re-
l9ting TO the six first months Of the year,
procaim5 the acknowledged fact that a pro-
longed winter aud tardr spring bespeak
more abundant crops and more assured
plenty than the pleasantcr, however unsea-
sonaolc, warmth which sometimes gladdens
our hearts in winter and early spring. Nor
is this belief peculiar to our county or
even to England; it is held quite rs much
IN the south Of Europe; for the Italians
have q proverb, january commits the
faults, and May bears the blame," and it is
common saying in Spain, A year of snow,
Il ycaS. Of plenty" Moreover, that such
premature mildness Of the seasons does not
in reality advance vegetation, every body
who possesses garden knows to bis cost !;
and here again we have several famous
Wiltshire proverbs relating to this fact, und
containing very Teighty truths. The Ole
runs thus:
s.Be IL veal or lie II woe.
Beans blow before May doth CO."
Another says,
Come II early, or come II late,
Ia May comes the corn-luake.S
And third,
"Plant your 'taturs when sou will
They won't come up before April"
But again, we have Wiltshire sayings which
affirm what believe to lie an equally unde-
n.able truth, that together with q prolonged
winter and dripping spring, dry summer
is more TO be desired by the husbandman.
That, however, is season we scarcely seem
to have experienced this year, when the old
Deropshire proyerb. applicable enough in
that rainy county, might have been quoted
with much truth even here:
The west wind alway IS brings wet weather;
The east wind, etand cold together;
The sou Il wind surely brings us rain:
The north wind blows 1t back again -
Showing that from whatever point Of the
compass the wiud blows rain is sure to fall.
There is very curious old Wiltshire pre-
judice against new moon occurring on a
saturday, which, If not common IN the
county now, prevailed not many years since.
but the origin Of which and the meaning Of
which am at loss to conjecture. 1t is
banded down In the following proverh
- Saturdays m Don.
II comes once in seven years
Comes once too soon"
Equally unfoundcd, though moro easily ac-
counted for, is the notion which prevails
among our people that the weather on Fri.
day differs from that Of oil other days. The
saying ia,
ITO every other d.y IN the week
Friday IS not alike"
4 somewhat obScurely- worded sentiment,
but doubtless it originates in the same prin'
riplc which causes sailors to dread putting
out to sea on n Frday-viz., ths custom
once re..giously observed, of keeping Fri.
dar as weekly fast.
The signs to he derived from the animal
worli ERE very numerous and very reliable,
and are much observed amonSs. our people
in on,cquence. As examples OF the most
COMMON ia this county, they Will tell you
| suat seldom indeed will a wet day be found
| 10 follow when in the mcrnng cows are
seen living do"n in their pastures; still
moro seldom when rocks are Dot!ceG high
in the mir. or swallows are seen ut great
height hawking after flies; but rare-t OF all
When three white butterflies are seen To-
eether in the garden or fed--the latter Il
sure sirn of n tine dav, which have hardly
ever known to fail. They will tell you,
Oh the otter hand, that when the distant
downs look near, or the common piuvG!
| 4,
u,nnueys, becomes restless; or the bees
hurry home, and none leave tie hlye; oi
| p,rtrid2es grow wild; or Sca.9ul+5 MAKE
their appearance so fur inland Or pigs carry
straw ia lhcir mouths Ur insects fly low
rain i ut haud. These IRE but samples OF
many similar instances OF uDfailing iGS,;"rt
IN regard 10 weather, which every student
Of nature aduires in the various branches
oC the animal kingdom. l will conclude
with tie clever lines Of Dr.. Jenner, which
sum up the matter very accurately:
| "Thc hollow winds be4ln 10 blow,
| The G. ouds look black. the glass Is low:
| The SCOT falls down. the spanielS sleep,
| And spiders from their cohwebs creep;
Lasr night The sun went pale to bed,
| The moon. in Ea!os, hid her head:
| The toding shepherd heaTcs a sign
| The walls arr damp. the dich"s smell
| losed IS the pnk-eyed pmpernel;
| The squalid t''as at dusk are seen
| Slowly c. awliug DER the green
| oud nuacS the ducks, the peacockS ory,
| The distant hills are looking nigh;
| IIark, How the chairs aud tables crack,
| Old Ectiy's lcluts are on the rack
| Ana SIC Won roc hs. how odd their Hight
They initiate the gliding Kite,
| Or seem prcclpitale to fall,
| A. If they fell the piercing ball
| How restless are the snoring s"inc,'
| The busy flies disturb the kinc;
Lew DER The grass the swallow wings,
\ rkpt Iuo how sharp Sic SHES,