452 THE GARDENER. . [Oct. 



is given "here applies only to tliis district, and therefore is not to be 

 regarded as applicable to the whole of the Middle Island of New Zea- 

 land, or even Otago itself. Since the establishment of telegraphic 

 communications by Government in all the settled districts, we are 

 enabled to know the exact state of the weather all over at the same 

 time, as reported at the stations at nine o'clock a.m. daily. 



The change of the temperature from month to month is gradual. 

 January is generally the warmest and one of the finest months in the 

 year. The mean temperature, taking an average of several years, is 

 64°, nearly tbe same as July in England. But in New Zealand, as in 

 Great Britain, there is now and again an exceptional season. For in- 

 stance, in January 1868 the weatlier was wet and unsettled, and con- 

 tinued so until February 3d, when the wind increased to a perfect 

 hurricane, and the rain came down in torrents for nearly twenty-four 

 hours, thereby causing the greatest flood ever known in New Zealand. 

 At Sotara, seven miles from where I write, occurred the most lament- 

 able event in connection therewith. The Creek, a small stream, rose so 

 rapidly during the second night, that several dwellings and their occu- 

 pants were washed away before they had time or opportunity to eflfect an 

 escape, and nine persons thus perished. At the same time and place 

 one of the finest orchards in the district was completely swept away, 

 or so buried beneath the debris left when the waters had subsided, 

 that scarcely a vestige of its former existence was recognisable. 



Even here, where the garden and grounds have a considerable fall, 

 and within a few hundred yards of the ocean, the lower portion of the 

 orchard and flower-garden was submerged to the extent of 2 feet of 

 water, and flowers and fruit-trees, as I thought at the time, hopelessly 

 destroyed ; but, strange to say, after passing through this watery ordeal 

 they bore as prolific a crop this season as if nothing unusual had hap- 

 pened. By the violence of the same storm two large vessels, riding 

 at anchor in the roads here, and loading wool for London, became total 

 wrecks, and four lives were lost by the disaster, 



I fancy some of your readers saying, " Shipwrecks and floods have no 

 connection with horticulture : let us hear what you have got to say 

 on that, and steer ships clear of the columns of the ' Gardener.' " If I 

 were inclined to raise an argument on that head, I am disposed to think 

 it could be sustained in the affirmative. But to resume. 



The temperature of the month of February is almost the same as 

 that of January. Mean temperature 65°; it is generally very dry. 



In March the temperature falls, but the weather is commonly as dry 

 as the preceding month. Mean temperature 62°. 



In April the weather becomes colder, more unsettled, and rainy. 

 Mean temperature 57°. 



