398 THE CEEEAL AND OTHER CEOPS OF SCOTLAND FOR 1880, 



pastures grew steadily from Fela-uarT. Tlie season was rather dry, but 

 unless on thin land, the pastures were good and kept plentiful. Stock 

 throve very well, and quite free from disease. Clip of wool about a stone 

 per 100 sheep over last year, and much better in quality ; about an average 

 clip. 



Shetland (Fetlar.) — No wheat or barley grown. Chester or here is used 

 instead of barley. From the veiy dry season the crop was inferior in quality 

 and quantity, both as regards com and straw. Oats— from the same cause, the 

 dry season and sandy soil, this crop w^as very inferior ; indeed, the greater 

 part of it being in a very sandy soil was little more than grass and weeds, 

 and the greater part has been given to the cattle as it grew without being 

 threshed. Harvest about a fortnight or three weeks earlier than usual. 

 Hay crop rather less in quantity, but excellent in quality. Both clover and 

 rye-grass was good in quality ; and the second growth of clover was excel- 

 lent. Meadow hay crop less productive than last year, but good in C|uality. 

 The potato crop was rather above an average ; there was a little disease, but 

 not much. It did not begin till late in the season, not earlier than the end 

 of September. The turnip crop was quite equal to last year both in quantity 

 and quality. The early sown and Swedes brairded well ; the last sowing was 

 long in brairding, but turned out to be an average crop notwithstanding. 

 No injury by insects. Weeds injured crops, chiefly "wild mustard. Pastures 

 w^ere inferior where ground was dry, but on wet ground, of which there is a 

 good deal, they were very fair ; stock throve on the whole pretty well, and 

 were free from disease. Clip of wool about an average. 



METEOROLOGY OF 1880. 



The fine summer of 1880 stands out in marked contrast to the 

 disastrous summer of 1879, its comparative dryness over the 

 whole of Scotland, and the unusually high temperature which 

 characterised the weather of August and September, being 

 peculiarly favourable for the proper ripening and ingathering of 

 the grain crops. 



In order to show the chief features of the weather of 1880 in 

 its relations to the crops, seven maps have been constructed, as 

 in the previous year, showing the degree to which the tempera- 

 ture rose above the average of each month from April to 

 October, or fell l3elow it, over all parts of Scotland ; and also 

 other seven maps, showing the percentage of the rainfall above 

 or below the average of each of these months. A set of tables 

 has also been prepared, gi^ung the daily rainfall for the same 

 months from many places representing the different districts. 

 From these maps and tables the following account of the 

 weather of Scotland during the growing months of 1880 has 

 been prepared, — the maps and tables being lodged with Mr 

 Menzies, Secretary of the Society : — 



April. — In this month the temperature was above the average 

 in Shetland, Orkney, and in the north and west as far to south- 

 ward as Islay. The excess was about 3° in Shetland, 2° in Orkney, 

 and V'o in the Outer Hebrides. It was also above the average 

 along the shores of the Solway, and in eastern districts from 



