208 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. [Vol. 36 



corn planting and replanting, washed out many acres of corn, prevented or 

 interfered with haying and harvesting, and ruined much of the hay and grain 

 that had been cut. Tlie cool, wet, and cloudy weather prevented the normal 

 development of corn, and as a result two-thirds of the crop was not fully 

 matured at the time of the first killing frost. The yield of practically all crops 

 was, however, nearly up to the normal, but the quality of staple field crops 

 was far below the normal, so that the year as a whole was one of the worst, 

 if not the worst, in the history of the State." 



The report also contains notes on fungus diseases in 1915, by L. H. Pammel, 

 with special reference to the relation of the weather conditions to the prev- 

 alence and virulence of such diseases. 



Meteorological record, 1915 {Montana Sta. Rpt. 1915, p. 260). — A summary 

 by months is given of observations at Bozeman, Mont., on temperature, precipi- 

 tation, cloudiness, and winds. The highest temperature recorded was 90° F., 

 August 30; the lowest, — 17°, December 30. The mean temperature for the 

 year was 41.68°. The annual rainfall was 24.72 in. The last killing frost in 

 the spring occurred May 16 ; the first in the fall, September 14. The number 

 of clear days was 144. The number of days with 0.01 in. or more of rain 

 was 120. The prevailing direction of the wind was southeast. 



The phenology of Nova Scotia, 1915, A. H. Mackay (Proc. and Trans. Nova 

 Scotian Inst. ScL, I4 (1915-16), No. 2, pp. 133-140, fg. i).— This article gives 

 the average dates (phenochrons) of various phenomena of wild life and of 

 agricultural operations for each of the 10 biological regions of the Province 

 and for the Province as a whole. These are based upon 350 of the best 

 schedules of observations " made in the schools of the Province of Nova Scotia 

 as a part of the nature study work prescribed." 



[Kesults of meteorological and soil temperature observations], A. A. Ram- 

 BAUT {Oxford: Humphrey Mil ford, 1916, pp. XV-\-215, pis. 4; rev. in Nature 

 {London^, 98 {1916), No. 2457, pp. 247, 248).— This report gives the results of 

 observations at Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford, on pressure, temperature, pre- 

 cipitation, wind, clouds, and other phenomena during 5 years — 1911 to 1915 — 

 and on temperature at different depths in the soil during 12 years — 1898 to 

 1910. The soil temperature observations were made by means of platinum 

 resistance thermometers. 



A comparison of the soil temperatures with the air temperatures shows 

 clearly the retardation of phase as well as the dimunition in amplitude in the 

 passage of any oscillation of temperature from the surface to a depth of 10 ft. 

 in the soil. There was found to be " a general falling off in the mean tem- 

 perature amounting to about 2° during the period of 12 years over which the 

 observations extend." 



Swedish meteorological observations, 1914 {Met. lakttag. Sverige {Observ. 

 M^t. SuM.), Met. Centralanst., 56 {1914), pp. XII +17 5). —These are the usual 

 meteorological summaries of observations made under the direction of the Cen- 

 tral Meteorological Institute of Sweden. 



The distribution of precipitation in north Germany, G. Hellmann {Sitzber. 

 K. Preuss. Akad. Wiss., 1914, XXXVIII, pp. 980-990, figs. 2).— The mean annual 

 rainfall of the region during 20 years is shown to have been 638 mm. (25.1 in.), 

 the lowest mean at any point being 416 mm. and the highest 1,700 mm. 



Thunder and hail in the region of Paris, A. Angot {Compt.. Rend. Acad. 

 Agr. France, 2 {1916), No. 31, pp. 912, 913). — The record of the occurrence of 

 thunder and hail in this region from 1874 to 1913 is given. This indicates that 

 there is no relation between hail and electric phenomena. 



The climate of western and equatorial Africa, R. Chitdeau {Ann. G6ogr. 

 25 {1916), No. 138, pp. J,29-462, figs. i2).— This region is divided into three 



