if put strictly to the test of experience, at any one station in this part of the island, will be found fallacious. To do justice to popular observation, I may now state, that in a majority of our summers, a showery period, which, with some latitude as to time and local circumstances, may be admitted to constitute daily rain for forty days, does come on about the time indicated by this tradition; not that any long space before is often so dry as to mark distinctly its commencement.
The tradition it seems, took its origin from the following circumstances—Swithin or Swithum, Bishop of Winchester, who died in 868, desired that he might be buried in the open church-yard, and not in the chancel of the Minster, as was usual with other Bishops. This request was complied with; but the Monks, on his being canonized, considered it disgraceful for the saint to be in a public cemetry, resolved to remove his body into the choir, which was to have been done with solemn procession on the 15th of July; it rained, however, so violently for forty days together at this season, that the design was abandoned. Now without entering into the case of their Bishop, who was probably a man of sense, and wished to set the example of a more wholesome, as well as a more humble mode of resigning the perishable clay to the destructive elements, I may observe, that the fact of the hindrance of the ceremony by the cause related, is sufficiently authenticated by tradition, and the tradition is so far valuable as it proves that the summers in this southern part of our island, were subject a thousand years ago to occasional heavy rains in the same way as at present.
GARDEN WORK IN JULY.
Plant more cauliflowers for autumn; and cabbages, savoys, brocoli, and leeks for winter. If any vacant ground, sow turnips, carrots, onion, winter spinage, kidney beans, endive, &c. Towards the end, plant sweet herbs. Transplant celery, more cabbages, and cauliflowers, on the ground where the early pease are done. Water, in dry weather, always in the evening. Dung and dig ground for full crops of winter greens and cabbage to be planted next month.
| July 1st. ho. m. | july 30th. ho. m. |
| Sun rises,...........3 46 | Twilight begins,......1 30 |
| ———sets..........8 14 | Sun rises,..............4 17 |
| ———sets,............7 43 | |
| Twilight ends,.......10 40 |
