AND METEOROLOGY OF THE YEAR RELATIVE THERETO. 351 



of the country it was from one to three weeks later. The latest 

 harvests are reported from the counties of Wigtown, Ayr, Argyll, 

 Wester Eoss, and the upper districts of Moray and Banff. In the 

 districts of the Forth and Clyde, the earlier harvest is accounted 

 for hy the relatively higher temperature which prevailed there 

 during the summer months, and particularly in August, Septem- 

 ber, and October. 



Except in the counties of Dumbarton, Bute, and Ayr, the 

 wheat crop was everywhere less than the average. The crop 

 w^as damaged by the wet seedtime of the autumn of 1882, but 

 especially by the cold parching weather of the spring of 1883. 

 Barley was at least equal to the average in the same counties, 

 and also in Islay, Perth, Moray, and Easter Eoss. On the other 

 hand, in Banff, Aberdeen, Fife, and the whole of the south- 

 eastern counties, the crop was deficient. 



Oats were above the average in the counties of Wigtown, Ayr, 

 Eenfrew, Dumbarton, Stirling, Fife, Perth, Forfar, and parts of 

 Easter Eoss. Elsewhere oats were under the average, and in 

 many districts a good deal of damage was done by the heavy 

 autumnal rains. 



In eastern districts, from Aberdeenshire to the Tweed, with 

 the exception of Perthshire, the potato crop was either an aver- 

 age one or less than the average ; but everywhere else the crop 

 was a fine one, much exceeding the average. It was a particu- 

 larly fine crop in Wester Eoss and Skye, being considered tlie 

 best since 1846. The disease was trilling to the north of tlie 

 Grampians, but in the southern half of the country it was 

 greater. Such disease as did occur was almost altogether con- 

 fined to the older varieties of the potato, and was chiefly felt 

 in the river basins of the Tay, Forth, and Tweed, where in many 

 places the loss equalled a third or even a half of the whole crop. 



The turnip crop was a poor one, except in the south-western 

 counties, and in Stirling, Dumbarton, Argyll, and Shetland. In 

 many districts round tlie Firths of Forth, Tay, and Moray, the 

 deficiency was from a third to a half of the average, owing to 

 the dry parching weather of spring and early summer. 



