WATER SOILS. 231 



METEOROLOGY. 



Meteorological observations at the botanic gardens of British 

 Guiana (Bpt. Agl. Work- Botanic Gardens, 1893-95, pp. 2-9). — Data are 

 given for observations on rainfall, sunshine, and composition of rain for 

 3 years (1893-'95), and for comparison the rainfall during each month 

 for 10 years (1880-95) is tabulated. The principal data are summarized 

 in the following table: 



Meteorological summary. 



1893. 



1894. 



35 350 



Total rainfall (in.) 135. 240 



Mean monthly (in.) 11.270 7.110 



Chlorin in rain water (mg. per liter) 3. 154 3.016 



Nitrogen as ammonia in rain water (mg. per liter) 068 .045 



Nitrogen as nitrates in rain water (mg. per liter) 066 .041 



82. 560 

 6.880 

 i 187 



.065 



.237 



The 5 years ending with L89i was a period of excessive rainfall, the 

 annual precipitation varying from 109.6G in. to 135.34 in. (1893). In 

 1894 the rainfall dropped to 85.35 in., which represents more nearly the 

 normal precipitation of the region. The amount of nitrogen carried 

 down in the rain water varied from 1.63 lbs. per acre in is ( .»4 to 5.59 lbs. 

 in 1895. The data reported show that the seasons during this period 

 (1893-'95) were very unfavorable to field experiments. 



The results of meteorological observations in Mandchouria 

 and surrounding regions, M. Venukoff [Compt. Bend. Acad. Sci. 

 Paris, 111 (1897), No. 24, pp. 1102-1404).— Mandchouria is comprised 

 within the same limits of latitude as France, but it has a climate more 

 like that of Finland and the Baltic Provinces of Russia. In fact, the 

 winters are colder than those of these regions, although the summers 

 are sufficiently warm to ripen the grape, which can not be grown on 

 the shores of the Baltic. In July the isothermal line, 24° 0., passes 

 through Perpignan in France. 44° latitude, and through Bedoune in 

 Mandchouria, 45° latitude. There is considerable rainfall both in sum- 

 mer and winter. On account of the influence of the Japan Sea the 

 rainfall is largest in the eastern half of the country. In winter the 

 prevailing direction of the wind is from the Northwest, in summer 

 from the South and the South-Southeast. In the former case the wind 

 is cold and dry, in the latter hot and moist. 



WATER— SOILS. 



On the composition of drainage waters, P. P. Deherain (Compt. 

 Bend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 125 (1897), No. 4, pp. 209-213).— The results of 

 examinations of the drainage water from the vegetation boxes at the 

 Grignon station during two years are summarized as follows: The 

 amount of nitric nitrogen in unfertilized fallow soil was found during 

 wet years to be as high as 200 kg. per hectare (180 lbs. per acre), rep- 



