416 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



weather followed by dry was very unfavorable to yield. 'N'ariable, cloudy, cool, 

 and wet weather in the middle period of growth was not markedly injurious to 

 .rield. I^ow teniiieratures were apparently not so unfavorable as other factors. 

 Damp, warm weather was invariably injurious to quality. The quality of the 

 medium late and late varieties of potatoes was, as a rule, determined by the 

 weather in August and September. 



The results indicate that abundant rainfall from June to the beginning of 

 August is necessary for good yields of sugar beets. Wet summer weather is, 

 however, injurious to quality, while dry weather from August until harvest 

 time is favorable. Sunshine and warmth apparently did not, under the condi- 

 tions of these experiments, exert a controlling influence on the yield or quality. 



The great weather cycle, T. W. Keele {Jour, and Proc. Roy. Soc. N. 8. Wales, 

 JjJf (lillO), pt. 1, pp. 25-16, pis. 2). — In this article evidence drawn from 

 ancient and' modern literature is presented to substantiate the theory of H. C. 

 Russell that the salient meteorological features of the present century " are 

 repetitions of the salient points in all past time and probably in all countries 

 . . . [and] that those salient points are definitely connected with the 

 climate of the world and will appear again regularly in the future." 



Swedish meteorological observations, 1910, H. E. Hamberg [Met. lakttag. 

 Svcrigc (Obscrv. M^t. SuM.), K. Svenska Vetensk. Akad., 52 (1910), pp. Z+ 

 151 ; Bihang, pp. 215, pis. 16). — These are the usual meteorological summaries 

 of observations made under the direction of the Central Meteorological Insti- 

 tute of Sweden. 



Meteorological observations at the Massachusetts Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station, J. E. Ostrandek and R. N. Hallowell (Massachusefts Sta. Met. 

 Buls. 215, 216, pp. 4 each). — Summaries of observations on pressure, tempera- 

 ture, humidity, precipitation, wind, sunshine, cloudiness, and casual phenomena 

 during November and December, 1911, ai'e presented. The general character 

 of the weather for November is briefly discussed, and the December bulletin 

 gives a summary for the year. The principal data in this summary are as 

 follows : 



Pressure, reduced to freezing and sea level (inches). — Maximum, 30.72, 

 March 7 ; minimum, 28.95, March 30 ; mean, 30.06. Air temperature, in 

 ground shelter (degrees F.) — Maximum, 104, July 4; minimum, —3, February 

 16 ; mean hourly, 47.6. Humidity. — Mean dew-point, 38.3 ; mean realtive 

 humidity. 75.2. Precipitation. — Total rainfall or melted snow, 44.21 in. ; 

 number of days on which 0.01 in. or more rain or melted snow fell, 120 ; total 

 snowfall, 35 in. Weather. — Total cloudiness recorded by sun thermometer, 

 2.023 hours, or 45 per cent; number of clear days, 106. Bright sunshine. — 

 Number of hours recorded, 2,431, or 55 i>er cent. Wind. — Prevailing direc- 

 tion, west; total movement, 58,242 miles; maximum daily movement. 605 miles, 

 March 16 ; minimum daily movement, 14 miles, February 9 ; maximum pres- 

 sure per square foot, 30.5 lbs., December 28, north-northwest. Dates of 

 frost. — Last, May. 5; first, September 14. Dates of snow. — Last, April 19; 

 first, November 14. 



Climate of Utah, H. Tfiiessen {Rpt. Bur. Statis. Utah, 8 (1909-10), pp. 49- 

 51). — The available records for temperature and precipitation are sum- 

 marized', showing an average temperature for the State of 49° F., 42° in the 

 north and 58° in the south. The coldest month is January, the lowest local 

 mean for this month being 11.8° at Fort Duchesne, the highest 37.7° at St. George. 

 Minimum temperatures below zero are recorded for nearly all stations during 

 all winter months, the lowest, 38° below zero, being at Fort Duchesne in Janu- 

 ary. " The hottest month as a rule is July, the local means varying from 84.4° 

 at Hite and 82.2° at St. George, to 65.9° at Heber, making the average State 



