This period of time averaged a little cooler than the previous week. The frosty morning on the 14th and only slightly warmer the next morning contributed to the lower average. My asparagus bed revealed some frozen shoots from the 30 degree reading but the damage wasn’t as extensive as I expected. I expect to cut it daily and it will be available for door sales, with no advance in price.

Rainfall continues to be scanty for the month of May. As of this writing, this area has received only 0.32 of an inch, with rain in the forecast. The last three months have been relatively dry, with precipitation nearly four inches below normal.

As I covered all the fields with fertilizer, I observed very little winter-kill, whereas last year there were many areas devastated by the ice cover and cold temperatures. I started spraying herbicide to reduce the presence of dandelions on several acres of hayland during the week and it appears to be less effective than in prior years. Perhaps the hardy and persistent dandelions have developed a resistance to the spray.

There appears to be a decline in the numbers of the most desirable migratory birds. I have 10 bird houses on the premises and very few of them are occupied at the present time. Usually, by this date, the bob-o-links, Baltimore orioles and humming birds are present, but not this year. I think I saw tree swallows in flight recently and the barn swallows are few in number. Six to eight Canada geese feed daily near the farm pond.

During the week we had spinach from the “early garden” that was planted Sept. 16th. Over half of it was winter-killed because the frequent wind kept the snow cover reduced. That planted April 13th has grown well and some of it should be ready to harvest at the end of May.

Winter conditions were fatal for two of the remaining three peach trees that were weakened by the previous cold winter. Winter-kill was evident on the limbs of two plum trees and my two forsythia bushes and neither bloomed.

New bloom was evident in many places and includes: white and purple violet, wild and cultivated strawberry, narcissus, white and pink flowering crab apple, pink magnolia, Solomon seal, adder’s tongue (dog-toothed violet), plum, pear, fire cherry, bush cherry, wild oat, purple or lavender lilac, and bleeding heart.

This period of time last year had comparable temperatures. There was a range of 40 degrees from the low of 38 on the 12th to the high of 78 degrees on the same date.

Precipitation was recorded on three dates and it totalled 0.43 of an inch. As of the 16th of May, last year, the rainfall totalled 1.26 inches and on May 31st 5.09 inches.

P.S.: Sunday morning’s rain deposit measured 0.19 of an inch.

Week of May 10-16

Day High Low Precip.

Sun. 86 43 0.07

Mon. 55 51 0.20

Tues. 75 48 0.05

Wed. 59 49 T

Thurs. 67 30 0

Fri. 72 33 0

Sat. 68 41 0