1 90 Mr. J. Glaisher's Remarks on the Weather 



from November 1 to 12 enabled the farmers to sow a great 

 portion of their wheat. On strong wheat soils a large breadth 

 remains for spring sowing with wheat or oats. The seed time 

 upon an average was nearly a month later than usual, and the 

 seed since has vegetated very slowly, owing to the wetness and 

 coldness of the soil. 



" The continued fall of rain in September completely de- 

 stroyed the crops of corn in the backward situations, and large 

 quantities of barley, oats and beans, in the straw have been 

 carried into the yards for the cattle and pigs, as not worth the 

 expense of thrashing. 



" The disease among potatoes has not been found so destruc- 

 tive as was anticipated, and will be more injurious to the grower 

 than to the consumer. In some situations the crops were 

 totally, and in others partially destroyed; yet from the great 

 extra breadth planted with this vegetable last spring, there 

 will perhaps be no great scarcity felt. I was most surprised 

 by seeing field potatoes taken up as late as the 18th of De- 

 cember. 



" The crops of corn now thrashing are very deficient both in 

 quantity and quality. Turnips are an indifferent crop, and 

 do not bear much eating ; the sheep folded upon them have 

 been prevented from doing well by the wetness of the weather. 

 Symptoms of rot are apparent among many flocks of sheep. 



"From the open weather the grass land has been full of meat, 

 and has kept cattle out of the straw yards longer than usual. 

 The disease on the lungs of beasts and milch-cows has been 

 prevalent and exceedingly fatal; the mortality is calculated to 

 have been 95 per cent, of those attacked. 



" Within the last few weeks the epidemic prevalent in the 

 years 1839 and 184-0 has appeared among lean stock; its 

 symptoms are blisters on the tongue and lameness. It is not 

 often fatal, but reduces the catde attacked by it very much. 



" Employment for agricultural labourers is scarce, and its ill 

 effects are much augmented by the great number of men who 

 have been discharged from the railways, whose intemperate 

 and vicious habits tend greatly to demoralise the agricultural 

 districts. 



" Many of the low grounds have been flooded, and forming 

 operations prevented in consequence." 



Themean of the numbers in the first column is 29"608 inches, 

 and this value may be considered as that of the pressure of dry 

 air for England during the quarter ending December 31, 1848. 

 The differences between this number and the separate results 

 contained in the first column show the probable sums of the 

 errors of observation and reduction; the latter arising partly 



