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43./  1953

1st to 9th Jan. 1953. Mainly cold & dull with some frosty nights, but suddenly turned mild on 8th & very mild on 9th. On 1st saw snowdrops out at the old mill W. of Templeogue Bridge & the first flower on Daphne laureola opening in bush at hall door, 14 Clareville Rd. Our 3 Snowdrops kept back by frosty nights not really open till 9th. 

Celandine by lane from Rathfarmham to the narrow Walls with one large bud ready to open on 6th - this site not likely to survive more than a few months owing to the making of a new road from Dundrum - Churchtown direction through Nut Grove (& past the site) to Rathfarmham. 

During period hundreds of thousands of Redwings in all the grazing fields, but only two Field[[?]] recognized. Sax. apiculata in front garden & some other plants showing signs of Spring & the early bush of Mediterranean Heath in in back garden almost out.

9th-26th Jan. 1953. Mainly mild & dull, not much rain, a few frosty nights & bright sunny days, mostly dry, so that by 25th River Dodder almost down to  summer level; by which date clear signs of spring here & there in gardens & hedgerows.

44.

January 1953, cont.

Yellow Crocuses out in Macauley's front garden, No. 10, Clareville Road & quite a few well out in garden in Orwell Park, Rathgar, on 26th. Winter Aconites out in Orwell Park as early as 15th & probably out some time & dwarf blue Irish out on 26th - not Iris stylosa! but species with flowers on short stalks & no leaves. Our crocuses only just showing yellow noses on this date. On 25th removed one of the remaining plants of Saxifraga cernua (from Ben Lawers, July 1951) grown from [[bulbits?]] 1951, which have remained same size for eighteen months, to pot & brought indoors as it was obviously determined not to thrive or even live in large pot in yard. Also with it brought in one seedling Arenaria [[strikethrough]] sedordis [[/strikethrough]] rubella! of same origin

27th Jan 53. After a mild night with westerly gale & rain, leaves of Anemone appenina up in front garden & Sax. apiculata in west border very nearly in flower, Arabis albida out in garden at pillar-box in Kenilworth Park & the Almond nearby clearly showing signs of awakening. 

29th Jan. '53. Our first yellow Crocus in flower. Still mild. 

30th Jan. '53. Mild, with strong SW. wind & falling glass. In afternoon walked from bus at Ballyboden up Military Road to Mount Venus & back to Rathfarnham via Rockbrook & Ballyboden. [[?]] almost in full flower near Mt. Venus.