A. Because, if March be wet, so much of the seed rots in the ground, that the autumn crops are spoiled.
Q. Why is it said that “March flowers make no summer bowers?”
A. Because, if the spring be very mild, vegetation gets too forward, and is pinched by the nightly frosts, so as to produce neither fruits nor flowers.
Q. Why is it said “A late spring makes a fruitful year?”
A. Because if the vegetation of spring be backward, the frosty nights will do no harm; for the fruits and flowers will not put forth their tender shoots, till the nights become too warm to injure them.
Q. Why is it said that “April showers bring May flowers?”
A. Before seeds can germinate, three things are essential:—Darkness, Heat, and Moisture. April showers supply the principal nourishment on which seeds depend for existence.
Q. Does rain-water possess any fertilizing properties besides that of mere moisture?
A. Yes; rain-water contains “ammonia,” to which much of its fertilizing power may be attributed.
(Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen. Common hartshorn is only ammonia and water.)