The message
from Malcolm contains these words:

This sounds doubtful if subjected to logical analysis anyway - my 2p theory
is that more berries means a good summer, and good summers (lots of high
pressure and clear skies) are often followed by hard winters (lots of high
pressure and clear skies).

Lots of berries at the end of a summer means that in the previous
summer/autumn, the plant was able to lay down good reserves of energy
with which to produce masses of flowers and then fruit the following
year.

Much more likely that late frosts in the spring didn't kill a lot of the
blooms or retard activity of pollinating insects.

In the UK at least, there is no correlation between good summers and
succeeding, or preceding, hard winters. Indeed, we don't seem to get
hard winters any more!

You will always find a correlation of some sort if you look hard enough.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/