WOODSWORTH would have loved National Tree Week. According to him,
One impulse from a vernal wood
May teach you more of man,
Of moral evil, and of good,
Than all the sages can.
The poet does not go on to reveal his methodology and, in any event, most of us might feel he rather overstates his case. But for what it was worth, our ancestors had very definite ideas as to what the trees can tell us of the weather.
In some parts of Europe, for example, a branch of the fir tree was sometimes used to predict the weather in much the same way as a piece of seaweed might be closely inspected here by those living near the sea. All the twigs except one were removed, and the branch itself was peeled and mounted on a wall with the one remaining twig hanging downwards. When fine weather was approaching the sprig was supposed to bend upwards, when rain was on the way it sagged limply down. Pine cones, too, served a similar purpose - closing themselves up against wet and cold weather and opening out only when dry weather was assured.
Nearer home, the oak tree was traditionally held to be a very good indicator of events to come. It was said, for example, that when the oak tree bends with the snow in January, good crops can be expected later in the year. The farmer was also advised to "look for grass on the top of an oak tree" - the idea being that the grass seldom grows in any abundance until the oak comes into leaf.
The relative progress of the oak and the ash - both of which tend to come into leaf in late April - was also watched with great interest. The order of their coming was regarded as an infallible "rain gauge" for the future harvest:
If buds the ash before the oak,
You'll surely have a summer soak;
But if behind the oak the ash is,
You'll only have a few light splashes.
The mulberry tree was equally reliable. Indeed the white mulberry was allegedly chosen as the emblem of wisdom because it was supposed to be wise enough to delay putting out its leaves every year until the very last frost of the winter was over. It was the tradition, therefore, to follow its example - and never change winter clothes for summer ones until the mulberry tree was green.
And then, for very short term forecasts, you could look at any tree at all:
When the leaves show their undersides,
Be very sure that rain betides.