Had he lived a little later, Horace might have found out from the U.S. Census Bureau that the death rate is usually lower in autumn than in winter and spring.

The jobless rate, meanwhile, stayed at 7.8% of the Labour force-well up on the 5.2% recorded in late 2007, before the recession had begun, but still lower than feared last spring.

Compared to Guyuan, spring wheat yield at Yulin and Haiyuan was lower, yield fluctuation was stronger and soil desiccation rate was faster.