Norwich bulletin., 1919-08-15
AN EccENIiRIc AND ABERRANT SEASON.

(written Specially for The Bulletin9 On the whole and taking things .by and large" this present seems to be 1 the most remarkable season which my {, known. ~~7' -sss4'
 Furthermore, judging from what my neighbors tell me. they also find it most unusual mix up
 Things are happening which never 1 happened before, and things upon | whose certainty we have heretofore l banked are now noticeable from not happening. | to disclose a thin glimmering of hoar 1 frost over the lower reaches of my gardens. It was enough to wilt the ] tips of squash leaves and could be boards resting on the ground. do not think it affected anything else, nor do I believe that it has seriously hurt the squash vines. though 1t can't have light frost during July. and a heavy one in early June Y
 This means that there has been a 1 visible frost over my part Of the far. I never knew a September to | pass without one. It, therefore l seems reasonable to put it down as "a i frost or a freeze during every one Of Ia cheerful state of things for either gardener or farmer. Even when July August frosts are too light to kiH crops, the abnormal cold which pro- duces them is not conducive to plant ! growth.
 April and May were both marked by continuous cold rains, which forbade 1 blowing al the right time and prevent 1 ed proper soil fitting at any time. Seeds were mostly planted later than Iesira ble. Even then they had to be put in the soil too wet and cold to foster quick germination or to insure a com- plete germination of all the seeds planted or sown. The first result was that most crops came up slowly aud unevenIy. Considering that they were usual. this delay of another week or two in germination put the-i back tremendously. Only yesterday I pa ssed field of oats which not onfy untouched with any markings of ripe+ ness. thouef, the time for normal ost harvest with us is. now three weeks overpast.
 or the same ride I saw a sizable field of potatoes in which there wasn't single hill which had attained half it's proper growth There were no hugs and no signs of blight That the by the almost spot1Ass-s cleanliness of the whole patch. Cultivator and spray CT had been freely used. There had nanifestly been no neglect on the
 
 him the cold shoulder My own pota- toes are three weeks later than usual and are not yieldirg over ooe-q quarter of the bushelage they should.
 While April and May were soaieers, June turned her face exact1v opposite and burned HIS coal- ok with intoler- able heat and unbroSen drought. Such crops as had managed to get some sort of start in the wet weather had spread their feeding rootlets out close to the s''rface, finding in the top inch or two s'l the moisture they needed. When the drought developed. that top stra- ashes. The -feedins rootlets.. which had hitherto reveled in ample wet. suddenly found themselves trying to suck something out of1calcined dust. They couldn't do it. nor had they time and warning enough to push down to lower strata where there might have been some ,danapness left.
 Imagine yourself @poor plant brought up in a swamp and showered transplanted into a dry-balsed sana- hill in the rainless Sahara. How'd you prosper under those conditions?
 July and August, thus far, have given us rather more than the usual late to overcome Jtine's drought handi- cap. Nor have they given up the expected and hoped for warmth. Some days have been parboilers. but most have been below the seasonal average in temperature, with almost invari- ably cold nights, Gtwice,kat least, touch ably the frost point. X s
 All this abrormality in weather has had it's effect. don't know of al
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