482^ Calendar of Nature. 



composing this part of the crop, we will be able to account for this apparent 

 phenomenon. It will be recollected, that during the months of April and 

 May, and the early part of June, the rains that fell were far short of the usual 

 average, and evaporation during that period was excessive. It is an invariable 

 law in the vegetable kingdom, that when a plant receives a check, either 

 by a wound, or a diminution of the ordinary supplies of nourishment, a 

 tendency to fructification is promoted, as if, aware of its approaching end, 

 it hasted to that state of maturity whereby the species might be preserved 

 and propagated. The leguminous crops form no exception to this law, but 

 are differently affected from the cerealia at different stages of their growth : 

 for though a diminution of moisture in the early part of June did force 

 them soon into flower, an after additional supply promoted their growth ; 

 new blossoms appeared, new pods were formed, and the season of maturity 

 was protracted, according to the degree of the existing temperature. Not 

 so the cerealia, which form only one ear; and that ear being formed was 

 not affected to the same extent by the future supplies of moisture. Hence, 

 because wheat, barley, and oats had formed the ear, which was either 

 developed, or what is locally termed in the shot-blade, before the rains, at 

 an earlier period than would have been the case under the same tempera- 

 ture with a greater supply of moisture at the root, this part of the crop was 

 not above a week later than last year in coming to the sickle in the lower 

 districts of Perthshire; but in the more humid highland glens, where the 

 same causes did not operate in the early months of summer, the ripening 

 process is later by three to four weeks than last year. The depth of rain 

 in September this year is 225 in. The coldest day in August was the 25th: 

 mean temperature of that day 51°; wind N.W. The warmest day in August 

 was the 31st ; mean temperature of that day 61 '5°; windE. The mercury 

 in the barometer was highest on the 31st, height 29'62 in.; and lowest on 

 the 27th, height 28*4 in., wind N.E. There were brisk gales of wind from 

 the N.W. on the 24th and 25th; range of the thermometer from 42° to 

 72° in the shade. 



The coldest day in September was the 28th: mean temperature'[46°; 

 wind N.W. Warmest day 26th : mean temperature 57°; wind W. The 

 mercury in the barometer was highest on the 1st; height 29'54in., wind 

 N.W. : lowest on the 6th; height 28*65 in., wind W. There were loud 

 gales of wind from the W. and N.W. on the 2 1st, 22d, 23d, 28th, and 29th ; 

 range of the mercury in the thermometer from 38° to 65°. 



Calendar of Nature for tJie Carse of Goivrie, Perthshire. 



On the 4th of August, very heavy rain, which continued for twenty-seven 

 hours without intermission, was accompanied at its commencement with 

 vivid flashes of forked lightning and loud and long-continued peals of 

 thunder, and violent wind from the N.E., v/ith the temperature as low as 

 46°', the rain that fell amounted to 1*40 in. On the 27th, during twenty- 

 four hours, about 2*25 in. of rain fell, with the wind from the same quarter. 

 The general characteristic of the weather throughout the month was moist 

 with a clouded atmosphere; there being 17 days cloudy, 7 days of partial 

 sunshine, and only 7 days in the month of clear sunshine ; the wind blew 

 from the N. and E. 13 days, and from the N. and W. 18 days. The 

 Digitalis ferruginea came in flower on the 1st, the Scabiosa succisa on the 

 8th, the Coreopsis verticillata on the 10th, the ^'ster ^melius on the 11th. 

 Barley that came in the ear on the 26th of June was ripe on the 21st, a 

 period of 56 days, mean temperature of that period 56-6° ; under a tem- 

 perature of 59*4°, last year, barley ripened from the time of earing in 49 

 days; difference of time 7 days, and of heat 2*6°. (p. 96.) The flowers 

 of the Colchicum autuinnale appeared above ground on the 24th, nearly 

 two weeks later than last year ; cabbage plants brairded on the 26th that had 

 been sown on the 17th, 9 days: mean temperature of that period 54*6. 

 The I3occ6ni« ^uercifolia was in flower on the 29th ; and wheat that came 



