July Gardening Diary " St. Swithun's day if ye do rain, for forty days it will remain. St. Swithun's day if thou be fair, for forty days it'll rain no more." St Swithun was one of those attractive Saxon bishops, venerated by all and especially by the common folk of England, to whom he devoted his life's work. He would often be seen travelling to all corners of Saxon England on foot, giving alms and feasting the poor. Born during the reign of king Egbert and in his latter years tutoring the young Atheling Alfred, he became one of England's best loved saints. In keeping with his love of the common folk he gave orders that his body was to be buried under the pavement outside Winchester cathedral; "Where it might be subject to the feet of passers-by and the drops of rain from on high". But in 971 his remains were brought inside the new cathedral to lie beside the Egg kings of Wessex, but not before the outraged saint had cast down a tremendous deluge upon the workmen opening up his grave. The legend of the forty days of rain may have some scientific basis though; The jet stream will often have settled into a static position around the 15th of July ( The Saint's feast day), if it lies north of the British isles we may count on a long period of continental high pressure, deflecting weather systems upon the heads of the Scots and sundry other northern European tribes and if lying to the south, Atlantic and northerly weather may prevail, leading to a wet and dreary summer in the temperate zone, though full of the life giving rain that St Swithun so loved. So, back down at ground level what jobs should command our attention? Spring flowering bulbs should be lifted and such subjects as autumn flowering Crocuses may be planted to give them a good chance to develop their flowers. Summer pruning is an important task in the fruit garden. The formation of fruit buds on trained and bush trees is encouraged by the shortening of the leading and lateral shoots at this season of the year. Any plum branches showing signs of silverleaf disease should be cut out at once and burned. This disease causes a metallic silvering of the leaf and can quickly spread around the whole tree. It is usually fatal. Now is the time for final thinning of apples. If the king fruit ( The one in the middle of the cluster ) has not already been removed and there are other fruits to take its place, then it is these king fruits that should go. Pears, plums and even dessert cherries will all repay careful thinning if there has been a heavy set. In the vegetable garden the planting of brassicas should be pushed ahead just as quickly as ground becomes vacant. Continue to sow salads such as lettuce and rad-
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