AS Iwrite on January 28, Candlemas Day the second of February is almost uponus.

This was an important day in the farming calendar for insome parts of the country it was the time when a new tenant tookpossession of a farm.

While in others an outgoing tenant wasobliged to make stabling available for a new tenants horses to enable himto get his ploughing done.

I may have mentioned before the oldsayings about the weather etc, they may well be worthrepeating.

It was said, "If Candlemas Day be fine and fair,we'll have two winters in one year."

Another variation of thiswas as follows:

"If Candlemas Day be fair andbright

Winter will have another flight.

If onCandlemas Day it be shower and rain

Winter is done and willnot come again.

There was also another rhyme that tells usthat: The farmer should have on Candlemas Day, Half his straw and half hishay.

I remember in the hills it was always said "Aye, andt'bigger half.".

This making the point that hill livestockwould need feeding for a long time after February 2 until sufficient grasswould grow to enable them to fend for themselves.

At one timegeese were a lot more prevalent on farms than they are today and yetanother saying used to be "A good goose should lay by Candlemasday."

A quarter day was a day regarded as terminating aquarter of the year - hence one on which rent became due inEngland.

They fall on March 25 known as Lady Day; MidsummerJune 24; Michaelmas September 29; Candlemas February 2; Whitsunday May 15;Lammas August 1 and Martinmass November 11.

JeffSwift