Beeton on January..............

Beeton is quite strict about January. (See my previous post).

Although the following was written over 110 years ago, given the weather of late, it could easily have been written last week. The last paragraph in particular may be of use to friends such as Mildew, Frankie & Lottie etc, in order to galvanise their respective partners.

“January is the first month of our civil year, the second of winter, and the third of the gardening year which begins in November. The average temperature is 39 degrees during the day, and 32 degrees during the night, and mean temperature, during an average of many years, does not fall below the freezing point; severe frosts, and frosts of long continuance are therefore exceptional occurrences in our climate.

The gardener’s attention must now be concentrated on the future, rather than diverted by the past. All arrears of labour due to the past year must at once be discharged. Nothing tends more to mar the success of gardening operations than dragging through the necessary work three weeks or a month behind the proper time for it’s performance. The peculiar fickleness of our climate renders gardening precarious and difficult enough with every advantage of judgement and foresight. It will be wise therefore to remember that work can only be done “weather permitting.

For instance, it is impossible to dig, plant or sow when the frost has set its seal upon the earth. It is bad practice to dig in snow, and worse than useless to attempt anything on the surface of the ground when an excess of moisture has converted it into mud.

It may thus occasionally happen that a part or the whole of the work prescribed for one month may have to be deferred to another, and thus a double portion fall upon one or any of the winter or spring months. In such cases extra labour must be employed, or diverted from other departments, until the whole of the work indicated is completed.”

No golf for Pat in February then………