AND METEOROLOGY OF THE YEAR RELATIVE THERETO. 361 



and in several districts the weight was from one to three lbs. 

 above the average. 



As regards the cereals, next to the low summer temperature, 

 the distribution of the rainfall most affected the returns. Thus 

 the broken wet weather and heavy rains which prevailed on the 

 east coast and from 10 to 30 miles inland, from the Dee to the 

 Tweed during August, September, and a large part of October, 

 increased the damage already sustained by the coldness of the 

 summer, and made the season of 1881 perhaps the most 

 disastrous in recent years to the farming interest in the im- 

 portant agricultural districts of this part of Scotland. 



Over the same districts, these heavy autumnal rains inflicted 

 the most serious damage on the potato crop, from one-third to 

 two-thirds of the crop being in many places lost by disease. 

 Champions, however, suffered little or none at all, even in these 

 districts. On the other hand, in the north-east and north of 

 Scotland, and in the west generally, where these late summer 

 and early autumnal rains did not prevail, little or no disease 

 appeared, and good crops were secured. 



The frosts that occurred in the beginning of June seriously 

 damaged tlie turnip crop in districts, chiefly inland situations, 

 and the crop over Scotland generally was a very poor one, being 

 a third, a half, and even in some places three-fourths under the 

 average. Only two or three of the observers report a good or 

 at least average crop for their districts. Some late growth was, 

 however, made during the singularly open weather which closed 

 the year. 



