Letter: Mailbag - Weather not to blame

Huddersfield Daily Examiner (Huddersfield, England), Sept 3, 2008

Byline: DAVID R TAYLOR

THE article by your columnist, Hazel Etienne, (Saturday August 30), regarding the lack of fruit on her plum tree, caught my attention.

It seems to be fairly common in newspapers and on television, for the English weather to be blamed for everything that does not go as we would wish, but at least Hazel did not cite the dreaded "climate change" as the culprit for her poor crop.

So Hazel, if the rain and lack of sun is to blame this year, how come you had an "abundant crop" last year? After all, was it not last June when the BBC weathermen amongst others, greeted the heavy rains and subsequent floods with an almost apocalyptic air?

Strange to relate, it would seem, but we are having an almost record harvest from our sole Victoria plum tree, here in not-so-sunny Stocks moor!

Incidentally, our tree had a poor output in 2007.

My observations of our tree, show that it has one poor cropping year approximately every third year, but the two intervening years are always prolific. It's as if the tree is having a rest and recharging itself! I have heard similar stories from fellow plum fanciers/growers. So, Hazel, be patient, and provided our unreliable English weather does not blow your blossom away before it sets next spring, I would be willing to bet you have a good crop next summer.