﻿EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 15 



THE WEATHER. 



The temperature on the whole has been favorable through 

 the year. Once more a fairly cool summer is to be recorded, 

 the daily mean for August equaling the average, and that 

 for June and July falling below the average by three degrees. 

 For comparison, the minimum and the shade and solar 

 maxima for each month are likewise platted on the ac- 

 companying diagram (A), which, except for the solar maxi- 

 mum, is based upon the monthly sheets issued by the local 

 office of the Weather Bureau. It will be observed that 

 although extremely cold weather was not experienced, 

 the mean for February was two degrees below the average, 

 while March reached the customary February average: — 

 a condition practically translated into unusually high ex- 

 penses for heating the plant houses and a decreased number 

 of visitors for the latter month, which was stormy as well 

 as cold. 



In contrast with these two conditions of temperature, 

 the distribution of rainfall has been distinctly unfavorable 

 to gardening, being far below the average during the most 

 important season, from April to June inclusive, the drought 

 continuing through July, and being then equalized by short 

 heavy showers rather than slow soaking rains until toward 

 the close of the growing season. The total precipitation 

 for the year (Diagram B) amounts to 1.54 inches less than 

 the earlier average, as given by the Weather Bureau. 



VISITORS. 



The total number of visitors for the year reached 117,553 

 — a figure not before equaled except in the World's Fair 

 year. Of this total, 27,831 were recorded for the open Sun- 

 day afternoon in June, and 12,215 for the open Sunday 

 afternoon in September, the remaining 77,507 being week- 

 day visitors. Diagram C shows the distribution of the 

 latter through the season, contrasted with the average 

 for the period covered by records (except for the aberrant 



