264 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



5-6 EDWARD VII., A. 1906 



very badly. The thermometer registered below zero eleven times during the month, 

 the lowest for some years being 31° below zero on the 15th. 



The first week in February was fine, with the thermometer below zero much of the 

 time. The remainder of February was also cold, but unusually stormy, with high 

 winds. Roads were impassable much of the time, and railway traffic was suspended for 

 several days. The mercury went below zero point at nine different dates during the 

 month. Generally speaking, the month was the most stormy of any experienced here 

 during the past 30 years. 



The first of March opened mild, but was followed by cold, fine weather until the 

 8th. Snow then went rapidly for a few days, followed by exceptionally cold weather, 

 the glass recording 14° and 15° below zero on the 14th and 15th respectively. The 

 balance of March was fine, with some mild weather, and the large quantity of snow 

 gradually went away without the usual freshets. Towards the last of the month the 

 roads were bad and sleighing was about broken up. 



The first of the month of April was fine and quite mild, with not nearly the usual 

 amount of rain; this also assisted materially in preventing the usual spring freshets. 

 The remainder of April was fine, with some light rains, but the sky was usually over- 

 cast, preventing many bright days. The total rainfall for the month was only 1 '24 

 inches, of which 1 '02 fell on the 21st and 22nd. 



The rainfall during May was greater than usual, and was pretty well distributed 

 over the whole month. Rain fell on eleven different dates during the month. The con- 

 tinued wet weather, together with a somewhat lower temperature than usual, prevented 

 the usual am^ount of field work from being done, and made farm work and plant growth 

 backward. The first seeding was done May 1. This, however, was followed by wet 

 weather and the ground was not fit to work again until the 4th. Seeding was con- 

 tinued on the 5th and 6th, but on account of rain no seed was again sown until the 

 13th, when seeding continued uninterrupted to the 17th. The balance of May, after 

 the 20th, was favourable for getting spring work done. Very high winds prevailed 

 on the 25th and 26th. The thermometer registered frost on six different nights during 

 the month. 



On June Y, in the early morning, the thermometer registered 5° of frost. This 

 frost did considerable damage to tender plants, also to fruits which were then in full 

 bloom. The first part of June was more or less broken with showery weather. Rain is 

 recorded on twelve different dates. Exceptionally fine weather prevailed from the 16th 

 to 26th. The temperature was about the average during thLs month, and crops that 

 had such a backward appearance early, forced rapidly ahead during the latter part 

 of the month. Only once during the month did the temperature go above 78°, and 

 that was on the 15th when 81° was registered. 



The rainfall during July was light, and only on six dates did rain fall, which 

 totalled only 1 -56 inches. Jvily was about as warm as usual, but was not so high in 

 temperature as during the previous year. The crops made exceptionally good growth 

 during the first part of the month, and the hay crop was above an average. The grain 

 crops, however, suffered greatly for want of rain during the last of the month. The 

 thermometer went to 80° or above on the 8th, 10th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 19th and 29th, 

 when 81°, 82°, 82°, 80°, 80°, 83° and 81° was registered respectively. 



August was unusually dry, the only rainfall during the month of any consequence, 

 was on the 6th and 7th of -62 inches, and on the 30th when -59 inches ;fell. The totail 

 rainfall for the month was 1 •-53 inches. , Grain crops were very materially reduced in 

 yield, and root crops got a severe set back owing to the prolonged dry weather. The 

 average temperature for the month was the same as the previous year. The ther- 

 mometer registered 80° or above 80° on the 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 22nd, 

 when 80°, 80°, 81°, 81°, 82° and 81° was registered respectively. On the early morn- 

 ing of the 15th the temperature fell to freezing point in some parts of the maritime 

 provinces and did great damage to corn, potatoes, buckwheat and other tender plants. 

 Our thermometer registered only 38°, six degrees from freezing. 



