Berry Weather
A Scottish correspondent asks me the old question whether there is any authority for the belief that much fruit is the prelude to a hard winter. It happens that I have just dis- cussed this query elsewhere. There is, I believe, no evidence in statistics or science to suppose that favourable conditions for the setting of fruit are correlated with hard weather to follow, but it is quite certain that we have lately experienced a remarkable illustration of the old theological belief. One of the best berry years within memory has been followed by one of the hardest winters. The same correspondent tells a strange tale of a blackbird that left the plentiful rowan berries hanging late on the trees to raid bunches of berries set in bowls for house decoration. They were doubtless
more fully matured. W. BEACH THOMAS.
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